Roberts highlighted "Spirit Day" during a brief eight minutes into the 7 pm Eastern hour of American Morning: "Well, if you're logging on this morning, noticing a lot of purple people on Facebook this morning, that's because today has been dubbed 'Spirit Day.' The Gay and Lesbian Alliance against Defamation is asking everyone to wear purple and turn their Facebook and Twitter profiles to purple to show support for gay and lesbian youth and honor teens who have taken their lives in recent weeks. For more information, you can visit glaad.org/spirit day." During the brief, a special purple graphic was displayed on screen.
Kyra Phillips, John Roberts's fiancee, devoted two segments to GLAAD's campaign during her two hours of CNN Newsroom. During the 9 am Eastern hour, she highlighted a taped message made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton:
PHILLIPS: Well, people fighting back against gay bullying are making a statement today- a fashion statement. It's 'Wear Purple Day,' and a Facebook page for the event shows nearly 1.6 million people are signed up to take part. The day is in memory of the string of children who killed themselves after they were bullied for being gay. Wear Purple Day comes as Facebook launches a network of support with GLAAD, MTV, and the Human Rights Campaign, among other groups. All of it is in the name of helping LGBT teens protect themselves from bullies online.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton adding her voice to the chorus of public figures telling bullied gay teens it gets better.
SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON (from taped message): I have a message for all the young people out there who are being bullied, or who feel alone and find it hard to imagine a better future. First of all, hang in there, and ask for help. Your life is so important to your family, your friends, and to your country. And there's so much waiting for you, both personally and professionally.
PHILLIPS: Well, the 'It Gets Better' project started last month, and it now includes thousands of videos posted by people who have spoken out against gay bullying.
The following hour, Phillips interviewed GLAAD's senior director of media programs, after repeating her earlier brief on the "Wear Purple Day," this time without Clinton's message:
PHILLIPS: Rashad Robinson is the senior director of media programs for GLAAD. He joins us by phone. And Rashad, we were watching the numbers. It started out 1.2, then 1.4- now, 1.6 [million]. I mean, just the fact that so many people are signing up really sends a strong message.
RASHAD ROBINSON: I think it absolutely does, Kyra, sends a strong message to folks all around the country that we won't tolerate, and we won't stand up (sic)- we won't sit down and we won't be quiet when young people are being bullied and targeted because of who they are. And so, for folks all around the country who want to get involved, they can go to glaad.org/spiritday.
PHILLIPS: Now, as GLAAD and MTV and The Human Rights Campaign, among other groups, came together to do this, how exactly did it happen, and what does everybody hope to achieve through this effort, Rashad?
ROBINSON: Well, it really happened organically. Folks on Facebook and social networking realized that we had a real opportunity to raise our voices and be visible around the fact that young people are being bullied all around the country, and we've seen that results in really concrete- you know, harm: young people taking their own lives because of the bullying, and because in many schools and in many communities around the country, people were turning a blind eye. And we realized as a community that we could do more by raising our voices and raising our visibility. And so- you know, GLAAD and a number of other organizations really got together, and for folks in their community who are watching and listening right now and want to get involved, they can go to GLAAD.org/spiritday, and they can turn their Facebook pictures purple or their Twitter pictures purple, even if they're already at the office and realize that- maybe they don't have time to go out and buy something purple. And so, it's really an opportunity for us to show our spirit, and for us to show our commitment to standing up for the young people who have been facing these harms in their community.
PHILLIPS: Rashad Robinson, thanks for calling in.
ROBINSON: Thank you for having me, Kyra.
CNN's last two segments on GLAAD's campaign came during the 12 pm (with anchor Tony Harris) and the 4 pm Eastern hours (with anchor Brooke Baldwin) of CNN Newsroom. Correspondent Sandra Endo came on both times to highlight "Spirit Day." During the 4 pm segment, Endo replayed Secretary Clinton's message, and featured celebrity's Tweets on the campaign.
BALDWIN: And now, time for 'Trending,' when all of you- it's apparently exploded all over Twitter, right? And for that, we go to Sandra Endo. What is this- this purple thing?
ENDO: A huge trend all this week, but it really culminates today, and some people you ask- you may be starting today- really, this campaign all across social media, and big on Twitter and Facebook. All of you out there may be seeing a lot of purple because- that's because, actually, more than 1.6 million people have signed up for Wear Purple Day on Facebook, in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-gender youth, and remembering those lost to anti-LBGT bullying. Now, even some public and very powerful people, such as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are getting involved, to encourage young people that it does get better.
SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON (from taped message): I have a message for all of the young people out there who are being bullied, or who feel alone and find it hard to imagine a better future. First of all, hang in there, and ask for help. Your life is so important to your familiy, your friends, and to your country, and there's so much waiting for you both personally and professionally.
ENDO: The social media campaign 'It Gets Better' was launched to bring awareness and support for those being bullied. And there are YouTube channels out there, Brooke- all of these websites have been set up, as well, to get people to support this cause and provide aid. Now, some celebrities are Tweeting about this, as well-
BALDWIN: Oh yeah?
ENDO: In honor of Spirit Day. Let's check out the Twitter board right there: MrJayManual: 'let it not be in vein,' and he lists the names of those lost because of this bullying. And also, going to the next one: Levar Burton said, 'Today is Spirit Day. Wear your purple proudly!!!' And going to the next one, Paulie Perrete: 'Wear purple 10/20/10 in support of no bullying.' And also, you can see Flikr, they have released all of these pictures of people wearing purple all throughout the country-
BALDWIN: Who are these people, just anyone can uploaded pictures of themselves?
ENDO: Yeah! Just- absolutely- yeah. This is from GLAAD- this is their website, and they've collected all their pictures of people supporting this cause. This is their campaign- obviously, to fight bullying.
BALDWIN: It's amazing how quickly it's picked up. I remember we told this story a couple of weeks ago about the 'It Gets Better' project, you know? And that started with one columnist and the YouTube channel, and now, today-
ENDO: Yeah- look at the power of social media.
BALDWIN: It's incredible, especially with young folks. Sandra Endo, thank you.
ENDO: Sure.
Erin Brown of MRC's Culture and Media Institute noted on Wednesday how other media outlets have "promulgated the link between gay teen bullying and suicide among teens," without "failing to highlight other leading causes" of youth suicide.
Throughout 2010, CNN has actively promoted the agenda of GLAAD and other homosexual advocacy groups. Soledad O'Brien promoted her "Gary and Tony Have a Baby" documentary, which aired on the network in June, at two events sponsored by the organization in New York and Los Angeles days before its premiere. The network also promoted "Gary and Tony" with a series of pro-homosexual agenda segments during the entire month. Earlier in October, anchor Ali Velshi called for the overturning of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy during one of his regular commentaries. Velshi also endorsed legislation that would "require school districts to have policies recognizing sexual orientation and gender identity" during a July 25 commentary.
