Jill Zarin and Alex McCord, stars of
Bravo's Real Housewives of New York City, are speaking out
against anti-gay bullying.
The women were joined by their co-stars
– Ramona Singer, Countess LuAnn de Lessseps and Kelly Bensimon –
at a fundraiser Monday hosted by Zarin.
At the event, Zarin
told celebrity website Hollywood Life that “no one should ever
have to be afraid or intimidated in the classroom or in their life
because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”
Previously, Zarin
had urged people to wear purple and turn their Twitter and Facebook
profiles purple on Spirit Day, a day dedicated to remembering gay
teens who have been bullied to death.
“The self-esteem issues that kids and
teens experience often stay with them for life, and in some tragic
cases, cause them to end it,” McCord said. “It's important to
provide safe haven resources and suicide hot-lines geared toward
youths affected by bullying.”
McCord
has previously spoken out in support of legalizing gay marriage in
New York.