<p>by <a href=mailto:assocdir@dignityusa.org>Jim Smith</a> Associate Director DignityUSA</p> <p>It only takes a split second for me to recall the terror I felt nearly every day of my teenage years. What terror? Quick guess.</p> <p>Yep the terror of being known by my peers as a &ldquo;fag.&rdquo;</p> <p>Are those days of terror over for kids in 2014? Don&rsquo;t bet on it. There&rsquo;s still a good bit of self-shame to go around encouraged by any number of folks including one&rsquo;s peers fellow Catholics Catholic leaders and the content of some of the Church&rsquo;s teachings.</p> <p>Is there anything you and I can do about that any way we can reach into the lives of young people with our lived dignity any way to encourage that dignity in our LGBT kids?</p> <p>You can bet on that.</p> <p>On October 16 (soon!) people and organizations across the country will celebrate *Spirit Day. As a sign of their belief in the dignity of LGBT and questioning youth and their stand against bullying they&rsquo;ll be wearing purple. A simple profound witness.</p> <p>DignityUSA wants to help diminish the terror in Catholic schools on Spirit Day. How many kids and staff in Catholic schools will be wearing purple? Probably few.</p> <p>Dignity members can help increase the purple in Catholic schools. Will you commit to this?</p> <ul> <li>Identify at least one young person in Catholic middle or high school or at least one Catholic school employee be that person an DignityUSAistrator teacher cook custodian etc.</li> <li>Reach out to that person with a simple invitation: wear purple to school on October 16^th. If you&rsquo;re inviting a student and that school requires student uniforms invite the student to wear a ribbon a headband purple bracelet etc.</li> <li>Perhaps tell that person the terror or shame or anger or fear you experienced growing up and your desire that an LGBTQ kid today knows well their deep dignity before God and every person.</li> <li>Explain simply that the color purple signifies one&rsquo;s support of LGBTQ kids and that no one deserves to be bullied.</li> <li>Ask that person if they would be willing to invite others in their school to also wear purple on October 16^th.</li> </ul> <p>DignityUSA is a community of people who have learned sometimes the very hard way that who we are in our sexual orientation or gender identity and whom we love are gifts to be embraced. We are also a community called to share that knowledge.</p> <p>Thank you for reaching out to at least one person in a Catholic school to wear purple on October 16.</p> <p>Terror has no place in the lives of our LGBTQ Catholic youth.</p> <hr /> <p>*Spirit Day is led by our friends at GLAAD. DignityUSA is an official co-sponsor of Spirit Day.&nbsp;</p> <p class=rtecenter><a href=http://www.glaad.org/spiritday/pledge><img alt= class=file-file-styles-200px media-element src=http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/200px/public/images/2014-09/pledge_r1.png?itok=3tfhw9N4 style=height:114px; width:102px /></a><a href=http://www.glaad.org/spiritday/getinvolved><img alt= class=file-file-styles-200px media-element src=http://www.glaad.org/sites/default/files/styles/200px/public/images/%5Bcurrent-date%3Acustom%3AY-m%5D/take_action_r1.png?itok=DWDi7UJs style=height:114px; width:90px /></a></p>