On Wednesday, Oct 20th people around the globe observed Spirit Day. The day encouraged people from all walks of life to wear the colour purple in remembrance of young LGBT lives lost to suicide. Clint McCance, vice president of the Midland School District (Arkansas), in a shocking display of unfiltered bigotry wrote on his Facebook page:

“Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers committed suicide. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed therselves because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE.”
and
“No because being a fag doesnt give you the right to ruin the rest of our lives. If you get easily offended by being called a fag then dont tell anyone you are a fag. Keep that shit to yourself. I dont care how people decide to live their lives. They dont bother me if they keep it to thereselves. It pisses me off though that we make a special purple fag day for them. I like that fags cant procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die. If you arent against it, you might as well be for it.” He further writes, “I would disown my kids if they were gay. They will not be welcome at my home or in my vicinity. I will absolutely run them off. Of course my kids will know better. My kids will have solid christian beliefs. See it infects everyone.”

During an interview that aired Thursday (Oct 28) on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360°, comedian and talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres condemned the hateful anti-gay statements made by Clint McCance:

“It would not be acceptable if someone used the n-word. When the civil rights movement happened, it took not just the community of blacks to make a change, but white people needed to step in and say this is unacceptable. We cannot tolerate this and treat any citizen with lesser value. And, I think, as a gay person, I would like to personally ask every heterosexual person out there who is appalled by this to – we need your help now. This is absurd and he should resign.”

AC360 - Ellen DeGeneres comments on Clint McCance


Earlier this morning, demonstrators were at Midland High School protesting Midland School Board member Clint McCance:

A Facebook page has been set-up calling for the firing of McCance.

TAKE ACTION by calling for Clint McCance's resignation.

Here's a brief history of Brittany McMillan, the Canadian teenage girl who created Spirit Day:

In the wake of several suicides by gay teens, [Brittany McMillan] a teenage girl from Canada sent out a call for a worldwide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Spirit Day. Posted and re-posted from blogs to Facebook to other social networking sites, her call for remembrance spread across the Internet in a matter of days.

With the use of her Tumblr account, the announcement asks people to wear purple on Oct. 20 in memory of those bullied and harassed for their sexual orientation.

“On October 20th, 2010, we will wear purple in honor of the seven gay boys who committed suicide in recent weeks/months, many of them due to homophobic abuse in their homes or at their schools,” Brittany McMillan said. “Purple represents Spirit on the LGBTQ flag and that’s exactly what we’d like all of you to have with you: spirit. Please know that times will get better and that you will meet people who will love you and respect you for who you are, no matter your sexuality.”