Respect the Pink aims to teach youth about more than just bullying

“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.” ~ Andy Rooney

News – It was hard to go anywhere in Kingston on Feb. 24 without seeing pink, especially at the central branch of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL). The library hosted the second annual ‘Respect the Pink’ event in conjunction with Pink Shirt Day. While the weather was a bit treacherous, many still came out to spread the word about putting a stop to bullying.

The event, aimed at youth ages 12 to 24, was organized in conjunction with the City of Kingston, KFPL, the Boys and Girls Club, Community Living Kingston, Pathways to Education and Y2K and was developed by youth for youth. The evening included workshops, activities, socialising and, of course, pizza.

“The event is designed to address bullying, but it is also about breaking down barriers and getting people to know each other more,” explained Lisa Pennock, adult facilitator for the youth voice table for Y2K. “Pink Shirt Day is generally geared towards younger youth and we wanted something that would work for teens and older youth.”

The event was a big hit last year and taught participants about issues like homophobia, transphobia and inclusion and even Islamophobia; the same themes were presented this year and some were even expanded.

“Last year we ran a workshop on Islamophobia because issues were coming up a lot. This year we chose to focus on incoming refugees and how to be welcoming in the community,” explained Noor Huda, youth facilitator for the youth to voice table at Y2K.

“I think youth really want to talk about these issues but they don’t know how, so we wanted to provide more of a forum for them.”

One workshop also dealt with relationships and behaviours that are good and bad within them. Youth were asked to discuss issues like consent, power and even appearance.

“It was interesting to see that the qualities of a romantic relationship can be the same as the qualities of any other kind of relationship and we should hold all relationships to the same standards,” explained Rhapsody Blair, 14.

“Sometimes you let your partner get away with behaviour that you wouldn’t accept from friends and that shouldn’t happen.”

Of course, youth also learned about bullying and bullying prevention and many were happy to take part in order to combat bullying in their own lives and the lives of their peers.

“I just entered high school and I realized how much more bullying happens in high school than elementary school,” said Abbie Matheson, who also helped organized some of the event. “I thought going to something like this would help me understand it more and maybe teach me how to deal with these issues more.”

Awareness and compassion were emphasized during the event and for Chelsea Aalders-Madigan, 15, awareness was definitely the biggest take away.

“Sometimes not a lot of people know what is happening with bullying because not a lot of people are educated about it,” she said. “But the more education there is, the more people will be willing to stand up against it and I hope that is achieved through this event.”

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Article for Kingston Heritage by Mandy Marciniak ~ Feb 26, 2016

Beware the workplace bully

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The New Bullying Prevention © 2016

🇺🇸 GLAAD Wants You To Go Purple Again For Spirit Day 2015💜

Are you ready to go purple for Spirit Day?

Because sometimes the smallest thing can mean the world.

GLAAD has released a new animated video in advance of the event, held on Oct. 15, encouraging supporters to wear purple to show their support for bullied lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth once again. Given that an estimated eight out of 10 LGBT youth reportedly say they’ve been bullied in the past year, the clip is perhaps more relevant than ever.

“Sometimes the smallest thing can mean the world,” the video’s narrator proclaims. “Take the pledge.”

Harold Moss, who is the creative director of FlickerLab, drew on his own personal experiences with bullying when he created the video for GLAAD.

“Bullying creates real despair and desperation. It can take a lot of years to shake it off,” he wrote on GLAAD’s YouTube page. “Layer on top of that someone trying to figure out their sexuality, and the fact that teachers and family might actually be part of the bullying, and it gets pretty grim. That’s why standing up to this kind of bullying is so vital for everyone to do, every day.”

Article by Curtis M. Wong ~ Gay Voices Senior Editor ~ Posted: 09/28/2015

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I was thrilled when GLAAD approached me to make a short animation to get the word out about Spirit Day 2015, the day when millions of people around the world will wear purple to stand up against bullying of LGBT youth. This is an issue that hits very close to home for me.

I had too many of my own experiences with bullying growing up, although they grew more out of the general odd-ballness that creates animators rather than my sexual identity. For a couple of years, I was the kid with a special seat on the bus so I wouldn’t get beat up every day.

Bullying creates real despair and desperation. It can take a lot of years to shake it off. And some kids don’t make it that far. Layer on top of that someone trying to figure out their sexuality, and the fact that teachers and family might actually be part of the bullying, and it gets pretty grim. That’s why standing up to this kind of bullying is so vital for everyone to do, every day.

But it’s also incredibly important that the folks who are getting bullied know they’re not alone in this. That sense of isolation and helplessness can, I think, be the worst part of it.

That’s why Spirit Day is such a big deal, it makes the support visible. Let’s all give a big purple shout out to everybody facing this kind of bullying and say, we got your back. We’re with you.

I can only hope this short animation we created will get that word out to a few more people, and help Spirit Day make a bit more of a difference.

Now go take the pledge, y’all! ~ Harold Moss ~ Creative Director, FlickerLab

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Head here to read more about Spirit Day 2015.

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The New Bullying Prevention © 2015

PepsiCo launches ‘Purple On!’

Anti-Bullying Campaign in Support of GLAAD’s Annual Spirit Day

PURCHASE, N.Y. – PepsiCo today announced a “Purple On!” campaign against bullying. The campaign supports GLAAD’s annual Spirit Day on October 16, which inspires millions of Americans to wear purple to take a united stand against bullying and show support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. PepsiCo is the official food and beverage sponsor for Spirit Day.

“PepsiCo is deeply committed to building a workplace environment where all of our associates can bring their whole selves to work and are empowered to reach their full potential,” said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi. “That’s why we are pleased to partner with GLAAD in support of Spirit Day, which fosters a spirit of inclusion in our communities.”
“PepsiCo leads by example and is a true ally of the LGBT community and our organization,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.

As part of the campaign, PepsiCo is encouraging its employees to wear purple on Spirit Day and to share with their family members, friends and communities GLAAD’s anti-bullying messages and resources. This content, designed for educators, parents and students, is available at http://glaad.org/spiritday. PepsiCo also is activating a social media campaign using the hashtags #SpiritDay and #PurpleOn.

Additionally, Patrick McLaughlin, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America Division, will be among the speakers at GLAAD’s 2014 Game Changers! Gala in San Francisco on September 13.

Spirit Day coincides with the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) “Ally Week” as well as National Bullying Prevention Month. According to GLSEN’s 2011 National School Climate Survey, 63.5 percent of LGBT students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation; 43.9 percent, because of their gender expression. GLSEN also reported that 81.9 percent of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation; 63.9 percent, because of their gender expression.

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🇺🇸 Spirit Day 2013💜

To learn more about spirit Day click here.

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