NEW YORK CITY: Empire State Building To Go Purple In Support Of LGBT Youth

Next week Emmy-nominated actress Laverne Cox will throw the switch that will light the Empire State Building in purple to recognize GLAAD's annual anti-bullying Spirit Day. Via press release:

Spirit Day, which will take place on October 16, inspires millions to wear purple or “go purple” online in a united stand against bullying and to show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Each year, Spirit Day draws the participation of celebrities, corporations, media outlets, sports leagues, schools, faith institutions, national landmarks, and individuals. Spirit Day is made possible by the generous support of its national partners PepsiCo and Wells Fargo, as well as official partners Comcast-NBCUniversal and Google, and supporting partner American Eagle Outfitters. “By recognizing National Bullying Prevention Month and lighting in purple for Spirit Day, the world’s most famous office building is supporting countless kids across the world,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “At a time when eight in 10 LGBT youth are harassed at school, it’s critical that we let them know it’s okay to be who you are.”

As you may recall anti-gay activists have long fumed that the Empire State Building lights up every June to honor LGBT pride, but has passed on recognizing some religion-related events such as the 100th birthday of Mother Teresa. So this should be fun.

RELATED: GLAAD also encourages you to remember to wear purple to work on Spirit Day.