Were people oddly silent in the classroom? Did you spot some people with duct tape over their mouths? April 15, 2011, was this year’s National Day of Silence, a campaign put forth by students, sponsored by Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), to raise awareness for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community.
The act of not speaking to raise awareness may sound contradictory to some, but many students participating use speaking cards or wear T-shirts to promote their silent message. GLSEN reports that hundreds of thousands of students from over 8,000 schools and colleges across the country have been participating since the first DOS in 1996.
The speaking cards available for download from GLSEN say,
"Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. What are you going to do to end the silence?"
Later in the day, most groups of participants “Break the Silence,” and talk about their experiences throughout the day, or just yell after not talking for a whole day.
The Day of Silence is a day not just for gay students, but for raising awareness for the safety of all students, regardless of sexual orientation. According to the day’s official website, the act of not speaking is supposed to bring to light the bullying and name-calling going in schools everywhere. According to GLSEN, 9 out of 10 LGBT students experience harassment in school.
Many agree that the prominent goal of Day of Silence is to get young people talking about injustices and problems faced by the LGBT community. Not talking will get people talking. With last year’s onslaught of media-covered gay teen suicides, the cause is more important than ever. Though several sources reported that actual statistics of gay teen suicides did not increase, the media’s coverage of last fall’s several incidents made it seem so.
According to the Day of Silence site, students in most schools have a legal right to keep quiet. In the case of a pre-scheduled class project, students may have gotten into a little trouble, but when asked a question in class, for example, the student has the legal right to choose not to answer.
Mark the date for next year’s Day of Silence (you don’t have to be silent to support). Listen for other LGBT awareness programs and events in your area. Make your acceptance known as part of the community or an ally.
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