No Name-Calling Week
Last updated February 25, 2021
Date Started
2004
Organizer
GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Hashtags
#SafeToBe
Changes yearly based on the current campaign focus
When
Typically in January, though may change year-to-year
History and Background
No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an ongoing dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.
No Name-Calling Week was inspired by a middle grade novel entitled The Misfits by popular author James Howe in which a group of students organize a “No Name-Calling Day” at school. Motivated by this simple, yet powerful idea, the No Name-Calling Week Coalition, created by GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, and consisting of over forty national partner organizations, organized an actual No Name-Calling Week in schools for the first time in 2004. The event is now held annually in schools nationwide.
How to Participate
You can participate by visiting the organizer’s website for various materials and the current year’s campaign theme. If your campus has an LGBTQ group, encourage them to organize events throughout the week and register through the organizer’s website. Workplaces can donate to local LGBTQ youth-serving organizations, such as any shelters, LGBT centers, or PFLAG chapters. If you’re on social media, use the current year’s hashtags and campaign photos to spread the word and encourage others to do the same.