Spectrum and LGBT students on campus celebrated the fourth annual Spirit Day Thursday through tabling and educational events.
The first observance of the holiday took place on Oct. 20 but it’s now celebrated on Oct. 16th. Spirit Day was created by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Discrimination in 2010 in support of LGBT youth who have suffered from bullying. The holiday was a response to several highly publicized suicides in 2010, which occurred because students were being bullied for their sexual identity.
On Spirit Day participants are urged to wear purple to show their support. Purple was chosen because LGBT flag creator Gilbert Baker said the purple stripe on the flag represents spirit.
Several local organizations, business and East Baton Rouge Parish schools are celebrating Spirit Day in order to combat bullying against LGBT youth in Louisiana.
According to Capital City Alliance, an organization dedicated to advocating for the LGBT community in Baton Rouge, nearly five in ten LGBT students in Louisiana are physically harassed because of their sexual orientation. Capital City Alliance also reported seven in ten LGBT students in Louisiana experience verbal harassment based on their gender expression.
Capital City Alliance gave several local organizations shirts, informative flyers and stickers to pass out including the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Equality Louisiana and Spectrum.
Spectrum celebrated Spirit Day by handing out these items in Free Speech Plaza but president Julianne Martin was surprised by how many students were already in purple.
“There were more people than I thought who came out to the table that were wearing purple who didn’t get it from us,” Martin said.
She said it was important to participate in Spirit Day to show LGBT youth they do have support.
“It’s really important to step up and show that you support them,” Martin said. “You realized there’s a problem and you support them and that spreads awareness,”
Martin said many people aren’t aware of the impact words, slurs and derogatory statements can have on others.
“The things that people say have an effect and they impact the people that they say them to,” she said.
Martin said through education people can learn the effect negative words can have on LGBT youth.
“It’s important to educate people and let them know that what they’re doing is harmful and could lead to bad consequences,” Martin said.
Spectrum secretary Courtney Murr said she’s personally seen harassment on campus, particularly in the Free Speech Plaza.
“At the table people will come by and give us dirty looks, ask us rude questions and just generally say rude things,” Murr said.
Murr said she deals with harassment by informing people about the LGBT community and education is the key to preventing bullying.
“The first thing that needs to happen is education,” Murr said. “A lot of the bullying comes from misunderstanding because it’s easier to bully someone than educate themselves about the community,”