The statistics are sobering and unacceptable. Half of all children are bullied at some point during their school years. For LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) youth, that number climbs much higher to eight out of ten being bullied, according to a GLSEN National School Climate Survey.
But actions can speak louder than the words of someone who bullies. Johnson & Johnson will once again support Spirit Day, a national event created to stand-up to bullying and support LGBT youth.
Spirit Day began in October 2010 by Canadian high school student Brittany McMillan who rallied her classmates to wear purple to draw attention to the bullying of LGBT youth and some of its chilling consequences. During that year, there had been a spate of devastating LGBT suicides from bullying. She chose purple from the rainbow Pride flag as this color represents “spirit”.
This year, like last, many news stations, talk shows, professional sports teams, Hollywood actors and actresses and like-minded companies, will “turn purple”. Johnson & Johnson is committed to diversity and a proud advocate for LGBT rights. On Thursday, the Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies will turn many of our brand logos purple in support of Spirit Day and ask consumers and employees to show their support by using our “Donate A Photo” app. For every photo shared to either PFLAG, the country’s largest Straight Ally organization that runs anti-bullying programs in school, or The Trevor Project, an initiative to protect LGBT youth in crisis, Johnson & Johnson will donate $1 to help protect children from bullying and help save youths in crisis.
Won’t you join us in showing your support? Because by wearing the color purple or donating a photo, we can all do our part to help prevent bullying and make schools safer for all children.
R. Scott Creighton is Global Vice President, Marketing Excellence of the Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Companies, where he oversees the training and development of more than 1,000 marketing professionals worldwide. He brings nearly 25 years of international marketing and sales experience from a range of channels and business models to this role.
Scott holds an MBA with an elective concentration in Marketing from the Darden School of the University of Virginia, of which he is also an Advisory Board member. In addition to his commitment to regional and national health and community organizations, Scott is a long-distance cyclist.