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It’s Spirit Day! Here’s How You Can Support The Cause

Around 85% of LGBTQ students report being verbally harrassed...

Today is Spirit Day, and it’s all about rallying to protect LGBTQ youth against bullying.

GLAAD (the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) started up Spirit Day one year when there was a string of teenage suicides related to LGBTQ bullying, in an attempt to show solidarity with those being bullied.

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Even though bullying happens everywhere in schools, unfortunately young LGBTQ people experience a disproportionate amount of it. In fact, 85.2% of LGBTQ students report being verbally harassed, and a disturbing 57.6% didn’t report experiences of bullying because they doubted an intervention, according to GLAAD.

On October 19th, join millions and go purple to take a stand against bullying for #SpiritDay. 💜
Are you in? Take the pledge now: https://t.co/AJXrimYJKz pic.twitter.com/0i2ifADy7Y

— GLAAD (@glaad) October 12, 2017

Clearly, not enough is being done to show them that being bullied for your sexuality or gender is completely unacceptable, that they shouldn’t just have to deal with it alone, and that they would be supported if they chose to report it.

How can you help?

Every year on Spirit Day, people around the world pledge to “go purple”, to show those who are being bullied that they’re not alone and that we are standing in solidarity alongside them. (Purple was chosen because it represents ‘spirit’ within the colourful LGBTQ flag.) It's all going off on Twitter...

Even our very own MTV News presenter, Love Island's Montana Brown, isamong those going purple today. Looking good, gal.

Wearing purple is one of the ways you can stand up against LGBTQ bullying today, but there are other ways too, including changing your profile pictures and donating. Click here to find out more.

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