Spirit Day is a yearly event held on the third Thursday in October. This day is intended to raise the consciousness of the abuse and bigotry that the L.G.B.T.Q community is subjected to. Thousands of people all over the globe classify as the third gender, and many more are still to come out publicly. Because of their sexuality, such a big group of individuals should not be excluded or marginalised. L.G.B.T.Q. youngsters are harassed all around the globe due to their sexual orientation.
History of Spirit Day
The first event took place on October 20, 2010. Later celebrations took place on Thursday, October 20, 2011, and Friday, October 19, 2012, until the third Thursday of October became a tradition in 2013.
Brittany McMillan, a Canadian girl, was surfing Tumblr one day in September 2010. She came upon an epidemic of LGBT youths who killed themselves as a result of bullying. She was compelled to do something that will promote attention to the demise of these young pupils after being devastated by the information.
She also sought to help others who were dealing with similar issues. She was inspired by Canada’s anti-bullying Pink Shirt Day and chose to make a Tumblr encouraging pupils to wear purple in solidarity with L.G.B.T.Q teenagers. Purple was chosen since it is the colour of spirit on the Pride Flag.
Several Hollywood celebrities dressed purple on Spirit Day to voice their solidarity for the event, and several sites incorporated a noticeable purple colour to their layout after the initial observation was promoted by GLAAD. The activity pages established for the commemoration on Facebook garnered more than 1.6 million users from all across the globe.
When Clint McCance, the vice-president of an Arkansas school board, wrote fiery anti-homosexual sentiments on Facebook, Spirit Day received even more global exposure. On CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360°, McCance eventually apologised; nonetheless, he faced additional backlash for what many saw as a dishonest apology. McCance resigned from the Midlands School District on November 1, 2010.
McMillan remarked in 2016, a handful of years after Spirit Day became an established LGBT event. She added that Spirit Day is what it is because of the individuals; they organise their own activities and develop their own artwork, all for the sake of telling LGBTQ youth that they are cared about. Furthermore, GLAAD’s VP of Programming, Zeke Stokes, expressed his gratitude by noting that the words and images associated with a festival like Spirit Day demonstrate love and compassion for the LGBTQ community, allowing youth to live their true selves.
Since its inception, the support and events for Spirit Day have been rising throughout the globe during the previous years.
Need to Celebrate Spirit Day
There are plenty of reasons to celebrate Spirit Day. Some of them are listed here:
- Everyone should be treated equally.
We all profess to live in an open and equitable society, but LGBTQ individuals sadly do not. Many nations have legislation that makes it unlawful to love someone who is of a similar gender.
- Love is Love.
No one should be able to tell you who you should or should not embrace. People who really love other individuals of similar genders do are not entitled to be harassed just because they don’t fit a particular stereotype.
- L.G.B.T.Q. community members are normal humans.
Individuals in the L.G.B.T.Q. society are human beings, just like us. In an increasingly toxic world, the very least folks can do is exhibit empathy and support for L.G.B.T.Q persons.
Spirit Day Date
This year Spirit Day will fall on October 21. Following are the dates on which Spirit Day will fall in the upcoming years:
| Year | Date | Day |
| 2021 | October 21 | Thursday |
| 2022 | October 20 | Thursday |
| 2023 | October 19 | Thursday |
| 2024 | October 17 | Thursday |
| 2025 | October 16 | Thursday |
Spirit Day Ideas
Here are some Spirit Day Ideas to mark the event:
- Support for the liberties of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
The rights of L.G.B.T.Q. individuals are virtually usually infringed. They only want to be understood rather than mocked or prejudiced against.
- Participate in a Spirit Day procession.
Demonstrate your solidarity for the L.G.B.T.Q society by attending a local Spirit Day procession. If there isn’t one in your neighbourhood or area, you may host one and bring your relatives and friends. Use social media to advertise the march and get the word out to a wider public.
- Give somebody you know a helping hand.
It’s a fantastic moment to provide your buddy with a secure harbour. Make a social media announcement about your openness to hear as well as offer help and assistance to anyone who requires it. It will definitely be appreciated.
Well, hopefully, you have gathered enough information about what is the event all about along with the Spirit Day Ideas!
Also, Read About- Day of the Dead