Ricky Martin, Chaz Bono and Julianne
Moore are among the celebrities participating in the second annual
Spirit Day, the day set aside to remember troubled gay teens who have
been bullied to death.
The 39-year-old Martin turned his
Twitter profile picture purple in memory, while Bono urged followers
in a tweet to do the same.
According
to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD),
which organizes the event, purple will also be visible on television.
The hosts of The View, Wendy Williams, Conan O'Brien and Dr.
Drew will wear purple on-air. Also The Sundance Channel and MTV will
turn their on-air logos purple for the day.
The jumbotron in New York City's Times
Square and the LAX gateway lights at the Los Angeles International
Airport will be lit in purple.
“Last fall, the nation mourned after
the suicide deaths of more than a dozen young people who were LGBT
(lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) or perceived to be LGBT,”
GLAAD said in a statement. “These tragic losses and the reports
that these youth were bullied because of their sexual orientation or
gender identity sparked a nationwide conversation about bullying,
especially with regard to LGBT young people. Their stories also
inspired a movement toward encouragement, which included Spirit Day
(10/20) and the 'It Gets Better' Project.”
For a complete list Spirit Day
participants visit GLAAD's
website.