All 6 Major American Sports Leagues 'Go Purple' for Spirit Day

GLAAD announced on Thursday that all major professional sports leagues would "go purple" for Sprit Day, an annual event where individuals wear the color purple to show their support for LGBT youth who are victims of bullying.

Athletes from Major League Baseball, Women's National Basketball Association, the National Basketball Association, NASCAR, the National Hockey League, USA Track & Filed and and even World Wrestling Entertainmen participated in Spirit Day, which was held on Oct. 19. The sports teams also took to social media sites, including Twitter and Facebook, to send messages about their support.

"From sports leagues to faith institutions to national monuments, schools and celebrities, millions of Americans will unite this week in an unprecedented show of support for LGBT youth and in a stand against bullying," GLAAD President Herndon Graddick said in a press release. "At a time when 8 out of 10 LGBT youth report being harassed at school, it's now more important than ever that we let every young person know that it's okay to be who you are."

Sports stars aren't the only ones who participated in the event.

All of Viacom's brands, which include MTV, VH1 and BET, spoke out against bullying in order to support LGBT youth. Ricky Martin, Reba McEntire, Snooki, JWoww, Paris Hilton, Dianna Agron, Chaz Bono, Fran Drescher, Joel McHale, Sir Ian Mckellen, Maria Menuouns, Bernadette Peters and more all wore purple for Sprit Day.

Additionally, the hosts of "Good Morning America," the "Talk" and the cast of the daytime soap "Days of Our Lives" participated in the event, as did the New York Stock Exchange and American Apparel.