WWE "Going Purple" For GLAAD's Spirit Day

WWE issued the following press release today:

Be A Star Anti-Bullying Program Goes Purple in Support of GLAAD'S Spirit Day

NEW YORK and STAMFORD, Conn., October 7, 2014 – WWE® and The Creative Coalition will support GLAAD’s Spirit Day by “going purple” through their joint Be a STAR (Show Tolerance And Respect) anti-bullying initiative. Support kicked off this morning at a Be a STAR anti-bullying rally in New York and will continue through Spirit Day next Thursday, October 16 with promotion on TheCreativeCoalition.org, WWE.com, WWECommunity.com and on WWE and Be a STAR social media assets, reaching more than 400 million people globally.

As part of The Creative Coalition and WWE’s support for GLAAD, a Be a STAR Alliance Member, the Be a STAR logo was turned purple, a first in the program’s history, and students at the rally were given co-branded t-shirts that encouraged them to “Go Purple” on Spirit Day, show their support for LGBT youth and speak out against bullying. WWE has supported GLAAD’s Spirit Day since 2011.

“No one should be bullied because of who they are,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “GLAAD is proud to stand with WWE in the fight against bullying and in a visible display of support for LGBT youth.”

“Spirit Day is an important time for everyone to stand up against bullying and discrimination,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “WWE is proud to support the LGBT community and GLAAD by spreading the message of respect and inclusion through our global platforms.”

“The Creative Coalition is proud that GLAAD is a member of our Be a STAR Alliance and even more proud to support Spirit Day as an initiative that embodies the tenets of the Be a STAR program,” said CEO of The Creative Coalition Robin Bronk. “We commend GLAAD for Spirit Day and believe it enhances our commitment to utilizing the resources of the arts and entertainment community to increase acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.”

Additionally, WWE and Be a STAR will stand up against bullying and support GLAAD’s Spirit Day by promoting the initiative through homepage takeovers on WWE.com and WWECommunity.com as well as social media support from WWE Superstars and Divas.

Spirit Day was started in 2010 as a response to the young people who had taken their own lives. Millions wear purple on Spirit Day as a sign of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and to speak out against bullying. With GLAAD’s help, Spirit Day has since garnered widespread support from entertainment organizations, sports leagues, celebrities, TV news and entertainment programs, corporations, schools, local communities, and even national landmarks.

According to GLSEN's 2011 National School Climate Survey, 63.5% of LGBT students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation and 43.9% because of their gender expression. GLSEN also reported that 81.9% of LGBT students report being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation and 63.9% because of their gender expression.