With all the ugliness in the world, Spirit Day — today, October 17 — is a way to spread a message of compassion, specifically for LGBTQ youth. Queer students face unprecedented bullying and harassment in schools (over 70 percent of out youth say they’ve experienced harassment or assault), and wearing purple is a sign to others that kindness is a priority, and that people should be treated with dignity and respect.

So how can we advance the message of Spirit Day beyond the symbolic?

SOURCE: ADVOCATE