Image credit: GLAAD
#SpiritDay is an initiative aimed at ending harassment and bullying of LGBTQ+ youth. Each year on the third Thursday of October, thousands of celebrities, TV hosts, NGOs, foundations, brands, and activists “go purple” in support of the LGBTQ+ youth.
For many young people being LGBTQ+ means facing constant stress, feeling cast away, and dealing with trauma and depression. And despite the fact that Spirit Day has been started back in 2010, the levels of harassment still remain record-high.
According to the GLSEN school climate survey, over 70% of LGBTQ+ youth regularly experience verbal harassment and homophobia from their peers and seniors directly, and 50% of them have experienced cyberbullying.
Trevor Project survey also shows terrifying numbers — over 30% of LGBTQ+ youth have been physically harmed in their lifetime because of their identity, and more than 50% of young non-binary and transgender people have seriously considered suicide.
Taimi strongly believes that to make things better and battle harassment, straight people need to step up and join the LGBTQ+ community as allies. We urge straight allies to join both the Spirit Day movement and our founder’s initiative #AllySpeaksOut — to show their support for diversity, equality, and their willingness to create a world where LGBTQ+ people never face bullying or harassment again.
“People need a world that is free of judgment and harassment, and a safe and secure environment to communicate, chat, share information, discuss issues, meet new people, be actively involved in their respective communities. I want to see a world where people are just people, no matter their gender, sex, or race. I understand that not every straight person is ready to be an ally, but I hope my story will encourage more and more people to speak up, to fight, to raise awareness,” says Alex Pasykov, Taimi founder, in his open letter about being an ally.
Taimi believes that voicing your support and raising awareness about societal problems is crucial for ending the bullying of LGBTQ+ youth. Taimi’s key mission is to fight homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia around the world, so we see Spirit Day as an especially important initiative — helping young people feel safer, be healthier and enjoy life to its fullest is something we all need to strive for.
About Taimi: Taimi is the world’s largest LGBTQ+ platform that features a social network and dating app. Taimi has several layers of verification, 24/7 profile moderation, around-the-clock live support, and PIN/Fingerprint/Face ID.
Taimi has zero-tolerance for judgment, discrimination, hate, or aggression.
Taimi is free to download on Android and iOS.
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Why Becoming an Ally is the Best Way Straight People Can Honor Spirit Day 2020 was originally published in Taimi on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
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