Spirit Day – help end bullying for LGBTQ+ youth

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- It's time to wear purple and take a stand against bullying for the LGBTQ+ youth in our community, and across the globe. Thursday, October 15th is Spirit Day. It's the world's most visible anti-bullying movement for this group of young people, especially transgender and nonbinary youth.

Dr. Nikole Benders-Hadi is a psychiatrist who works with youth every day. She says just like any other population, the way these young people are treated has an enormous effect on them. Acceptance can make a huge difference.

According to GLAAD, a nonprofit LGBTQ organization, acceptance is at an all-time high. Unfortunately, so is discrimination, bullying and online hate. 70% of these youth report feeling unsafe at school. Nearly half report being bullied in the last year. GLAAD reports that hate speech protections are being rolled back on social media platforms.

You can learn more about GLAAD, Spirit Day, and take the pledge against bullying and discrimination by clicking here: https://glaad.org/spiritday/