Spirit Day

[filkertom]

Originally posted by neo_prodigy at Spirit Day

 


It’s been decided. On October 20th, 2010, we will wear purple in honor of the 6 gay boys who committed suicide in recent weeks/months due to homophobic abuse in their homes at at their schools. Purple represents Spirit on the LGBTQ flag and that’s exactly what we’d like all of you to have with you: spirit. Please know that times will get better and that you will meet people who will love you and respect you for who you are, no matter your sexuality. Please wear purple on October 20th. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and schools.

RIP Tyler Clementi, Seth Walsh (top)
RIP Justin Aaberg, Raymond Chase (middle)
RIP Asher Brown and Billy Lucas. (bottom)

REBLOG to spread a message of love, unity and peace.

ETA: The original image created for this used pictures of the victims without getting permission to do so. kshandra came up with the graphic used above, and you can access it in comments below and replace the original graphic with it if you decide to post about this. Thanks.

Comments

[wouldyoueva.livejournal.com]

I'm the mother of sons. It would just break my heart if anything happened to them. I am so angry at Rutgers not doing their anti-harassment/diversity awareness at Freshman orientation but put it off.

And I am still angry at New Windsor Middle School for not taking bullying seriously when my boys went there. Maybe I should send them a link with a note that this is the consequence for enabling that behavior.

FWIW....

[kshandra]

There has been some discussion about the graphic being used for the Spirit Day post, noting that the photos of the deceased were almost certainly used without permission. (This has since been confirmed.) I spent some time this morning creating this graphic, and have updated my original post accordingly; feel free to use it here if you wish.

Re: FWIW....

[mimiheart.livejournal.com]

Thanks, switched the graphic on my lj to that one.

Re: FWIW....

[joyful.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't mind, I posted the graphic on my own photobucket so that I could use it on my LJ. I hadn't see your link yet, so I didn't know there was an existing photobucket link for it.

Re: FWIW....

[poltr1]

I like this graphic. May I use it on my LJ?

Re: FWIW....

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Excellent, and thank you. :)

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

Purple is also for the bruises (visible and in-) carried by the former victims of bullies. Those of us who refuse to attend a single class reunion or pay a dime to the alumni funds. Those of us who were not protected or defended by a single adult -- teacher, admin, or parent ("What are you doing to provoke them?" "No wonder the kids think you're strange!").

Those of us who hear about a kid shooting up his school - and wonder just how long he was abused by those Precious Innocent Children before he snapped.