Firstly, what is Spirit Day ? Spirit Day is day when people wear purple in support of LGBT youth who are victims of bullying, the day takes place annually on October 19th. Started in 2010 by a Canadian student- Brittany McMillan, Spirit Day has since become known internationally thanks to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The name of this day originates from the purple stripe of the Rainbow Flag (also known as the Gay Flag) which is said to represent "spirit" according to the creator of the flag- Gilbert Baker.
On a day such as Spirit Day- it is likely that one would share their stories of how they overcame bullying, and how it has made them a stronger person. Unfortunately, I am incapable of doing so. The reason I say "unfortunately" is because I was on the opposite end of the spectrum. Having attended an all boys school- I learned to reassert my "straightness" by verbally degrading homosexuals and what it meant to be gay. I would be lying if I told you that no one was offended or harmed by my immaturity and insensitivity, and for this- I carry a great amount of shame and regret. My actions were a result of my internalized fear of being who I am and although this does not justify my actions, it is what has led me to this weeks message:
Only the weak result to bullying, but the STRONG overcome it...
Should you find yourself the victim of bullying now or anytime in the future I want you to remember one thing: You're not alone. Despite their being millions of other victims who now stand taller and prouder than ever, there are also people (such as myself) that have come to realize that we were wrong- and that most of our actions were consequence of some internal obstacles we had yet to overcome (whether it was issues at home or within ourselves). More importantly- I want you to know that some of the world's most influential figures withstood hate and bullying too, and they're no different from you.
On Spirit Day I will be wearing a purple ribbon in support of all the victims out there and hopefully I will be creating awareness. My greatest hope is that I get to bump into one of MY victims, someone who had endured MY hate, and for me to be allowed the opportunity to ask for forgiveness and show MY SUPPORT. And I am not alone, apart from the numerous celebrities that will be wearing purple, there are also various organizations such as The Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation , You Can Play Project , It Gets Better , "I Choose" Anti-Bullying Campaign and The Born This Way Foundation that will be out in full force combating bullying. Why don't you join us and show your support?!
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| Colin Farrell Stands Up AGAINST Bullying |
For the first time ever, I will not be putting a Final Thought to my post, the reason being because I have yet to make my mind up. I will however be leaving a comment at a later stage- telling you how my day went and what the day meant to me. I wish you all a bully-free, happy Spirit Day and leave you with this video by Todrick Hall called It Gets Better. Check it out:
As promised, I am leaving a comment as to how my day went. Spirit day was great. Apart from having numerous people ask me about my purple ribbon and what it meant, I also had a friend wish me a happy Spirit Day (and I hadn't told him about it). I did not bump into the people I'd wished, but I definitely got my message across. I look forward to next years Spirit Day, when I'll be wearing purple. (Finally got a purple shirt!) Thanks for the read!
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