Spirit Day

Spirit Day is an annual LGBTQ+ awareness observance held on the third Thursday of October, when people wear purple to stand against the bullying of LGBTQ+ young people and to show them support. It was started in 2010 by Brittany McMillan, a Canadian high school student, in response to a series of widely reported bullying-related suicides of gay students that year, including that of Tyler Clementi. McMillan drew inspiration from Canada's Pink Shirt Day and chose purple, which stands for spirit on the rainbow flag. She worked with GLAAD, which continues to coordinate Spirit Day with schools, public figures, and organizations. The date settled into the third Thursday of October beginning in 2013.