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Landmark buildings, scores of celebrities, TV networks, and others will go purple to stand against bullying and for LGBTQ+ youth.
The Empire State Building, dozens of celebrities, and many studios, networks, shows, streaming services, landmarks, sports leagues, and organizations are set to participate in this year's Spirit Day, an annual observance coordinated by GLAAD to stand against bullying and to show support for LGBTQ+ youth.
Spirit Day is held every October 20, so it falls this Thursday. Landmarks are lit up in purple, individuals wear purple, and many people, companies, and organizations turn their social media feeds purple.
The Empire State Building in New York City will go purple Wednesday evening as a lead-up to Spirit Day. RuPaul's Drag Race fan favorite Jujubee and beauty product company Sally Hansen, the presenting sponsor of Spirit Day, will take part in a ceremonial lighting at the iconic structure.
Other landmarks joining the Empire State Building include the Spheres at Amazon's Seattle campus and Amazon's HQ2 in Arlington, Va. In New York City, the Stonewall National Monument Visitors Center, ViacomCBS, and Times Square including the NASDAQ, M&M's, Skittles and American Eagle billboards are set to go purple for Spirit Day, along with Mars buildings in Newark, N.J., and Chicago's Mars Wrigley Building.
Among corporate participants, NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, and NBC News Now will go purple. CNBC's logo will go purple on-air and online. Shows across Peacock, Comcast NBCUniversal and Universal Studio Group will also participate alongside NBC News' Today, the 3rd Hour of Today, and Today With Hoda & Jenna.
Within the Walt Disney Co., ABC, ABC-owned TV stations, Disney Channel, Disney Television Studios, Hulu, National Geographic, and Onyx Collective will join cast members from Freeform's Good Trouble, Single Drunk Female, and The Come Up to take part in Spirit Day. Programs and platforms across ABC News will feature segments raising awareness about LGBTQ+ youth and taking a stand against bullying.
Within Paramount, casts from HBO's We're Here, RuPaul's Drag Race, and shows across ViacomCBS will also participate.
For a sixth consecutive year, iHeartMedia will join in Spirit Day by airing public service announcements across its radio stations nationwide. Spanish-language networks, shows, and streaming services set to participate in Spirit Day include The Q Agenda, Despierta America, Hoy Dia, Telemundo, TelevisaUnivision, and Pantaya.
Major sports leagues including the NFL, a community sponsor of Spirit Day this year, will take part in the observance; among them are the NBA, WNBA, MLB, and Athlete Ally.
On Broadway, Jujamcyn Theaters will participate in Spirit Day along with the companies of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Into the Woods, and 1776.
LGBTQ+ advocacy groups GLSEN, the Trevor Project, and +Life will take part in Spirit Day along with gay-straight alliance clubs across the country. Faith organizations such as the United Church of Christ, the Naming Project, More Light Presbyterians, Fortunate Families, Reconciling Ministries Network, and Affirming Youth Ministries will join in.
International participants will include Chinamerica Radio, Okaeri (Japan), GagaOOLala (Taiwan), Mermaids (U.K.), and Gendered Intelligence (U.K.).
Among others taking part will be celebrities Aly & AJ, Ben Aldridge, Louis Van Amstel, Jonathan Bennett, Mayim Bialik, Sue Bird, Kent Boyd, Aria Brooks, Sterling K. Brown, Kristin Cavallari, Margaret Cho, Jason Collins, Wilson Cruz, Shannon Dang, Kelsi Davies, Heather Dubrow, Daniel Durant, Mikalah Gordon, Belinda Gosbee, Mollee Gray, Faithe Herman, David Hernandez, Ty Herndon, Jeka, Jane, Ken Jeong, Carson Kressley, Cheryl Ladd, Lisa Linke, Don Manicini, Mayan Lopez, Alexis Lynn, Matty Maggiacomo, Idina Menzel, Mothe, Maren Morris, Chris Mosier, Netta, Joy Oladokun, Jim Parsons, DJ "Shangela" Pierce, Olivia Ponton, Kyla Pratt, Adam Rippon, Jai Rodriguez, Jake Wesley Rogers, Lily Rose, Amy Schneider, Wanda Sykes, Brooklynne Webb, and Gregory Zarian; faith leaders Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, Brandan Robertson, Father James Martin, Bishop Megan Rohrer, and Bishop Brenda Bos; and the casts of The Cleaning Lady, The L Word: Generation Q, and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Besides Sally Hansen, presenting sponsors are Kellogg's, Target, and Visible, and community sponsors are Amazon Corporate Security, Kirkland & Ellis, L'Oreal/Viktor & Rolf, NBA, WNBA, NFL, Skittles, and Taimi.
Ketel One, M&M's, and WWE have also pledged their support as sponsors of GLAAD's Spirit Day Benefit Concert, to be held Wednesday in Los Angeles. The lineup is secret until showtime.
The annual tradition of Spirit Day was started in 2010 by high school student Brittany McMillan in memory of the LGBTQ+ youth who lost their lives to suicide. McMillan encouraged her friends to wear purple on a day in October -- a day that came to be known as Spirit Day. Purple symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag.
