Millions of people across North America are sporting purple to stand up against bullying and show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

A Vancouver teen came up with the idea for ‘Spirit Day’ in 2010, which has since grown to include the involvement of professional athletes.

“Ultimately, I want Spirit Day to make just one person feel a little bit better about his or herself,” said founder Brittany McMillan. “I want people to feel safe in their own skin and maybe even save a life.”

In the wake of high profile bullying cases like British Columbia’s Amanda Todd and Ottawa’s Jaime Hubley, events like this are in the spotlight.

As part of the event, people are encouraged to wear purple in honour of those facing homophobic bullying.

This year, the colour purple won’t just be in schools. The NFL, NBA, MLB, major league soccer and NASCAR’s diversity program are all participating by adopting the colour purple.

If it weren’t for the lockout, NHL teams would also be wearing purple Friday.