Today is the fifth annual Spirit Day, one in which people wear purple to take a stand against the bullying that LGBTQ+ youth often face. The fact of the matter is that there are so many LGBTQ+ youth who experience bullying or harassment and make up a disproportionate amount of homeless youth.

This is a common experience. It was my experience. Let’s take a stand against bullying. #SpiritDaypic.twitter.com/Cv0BwzESiS

— ELIEL CRUZ (@elielcruz) October 15, 2015

I love seeing all the purple and people supporting LGBTQ+ youth in this way (or in other ways like #RealLifeTransAdults) because it reminds me that there are others out there, people who are supportive and wonderful. But I don’t think it’s enough to just wear purple one day to combat a serious issue. In addition to wearing purple, let’s donate (money, time, talent, etc) to the organizations that constantly work to support victims of bullying and combat bullying itself. Let’s reach out to friends, tell the people in your life that you care about them, stand up when you see bullying happening.

And to all the LGBTQ+ youth out there, I know I say this a lot but I just adore you and your existence so so much. You are wonderful and amazing and so great. And there are so many people out in the world who are also incredibly grateful for you. You are not alone.

If you are struggling though, there are resources and people who are here for you and want to help!! Don’t be afraid to reach out – there are so many people (myself included) who want to help, who are here to listen and support you.

• The Trevor Project
  • Includes: a place to call or text, a place to connect with LGBTQ+ people your age, and a support center with resources
• StopBullying.gov
  • Includes resources for bullying of LGBT youth
• The CDC has resources for LGBT youth, educators/school administrators, parents and family members.
• Trans Life Line