Soap Opera Stars Wear Purple For Spirit Day In Support Of LGBTQ Youth

Your favorite soap opera stars are speaking out against LGBTQ bullying by taking part in the important movement. General Hospital star, Wes Ramsey (Peter) was the first to post on his Instagram account yesterday his plans for today.

Soap Opera Stars Show Their Support

“Tomorrow I’ll be wearing purple to honor my uniqueness…& yours,” Ramsey shared on Instagram on Wednesday night. “It’s okay to be who you are, no matter your background, race, religion, ability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Stay proud of yourself within…and the bullies will never win.”

The General Hospital Twitter feed also showed its support for #SpiritDay by taking the pledge. “The cast and crew of #GeneralHospital supports LGBTQ youth and stands against bullying,” it posted today. “Join us in wearing purple today.”

The Young and the Restless star Greg Rikaart (Kevin; ex-Leo, Days of our Lives) appeared in a video tweeted by his soap.

“Nobody should be bullied or called names simply for who they are,” Rikaart said. “That’s why I’m wearing purple for Spirit Day on October 15. To learn more, go to GLAAD.org/spiritday.”

LGBTQ youth disproportionately face bullying and harassment, which is why each year, millions wear purple on Oct. 15 for #SpiritDay, as a sign of support for LGBTQ youth. By pledging to “go purple,” companies and individuals can visibly show solidarity with LGBTQ youth and to take part in the largest, most visible anti-bullying campaign in the world.

Spirit Day began in 2010 by Canadian teenager Brittany McMillan in response to a rash of widely publicized bullying-related suicides of gay school students.

Promoted by GLAAD, the movement has attracted millions of companies and people who not only speak out against bullying but also honor those LGBTQ victims of suicide. The day is also part of National Bullying Prevention Month.

GLAAD posted alarming figures on its website, showing 70.1% of LGBTQ students report being verbally harassed, 71% of LGBTQ students report hearing homophobic remarks from teachers and/or school staff because of their gender expression, and 59.5% of LGBTQ students feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation.

We at Soap Hub are wearing purple today in support and hope everyone does their part to get these percentages down to zero. For more information about this important day, visit glaad.org/spiritday.