BY BTL STAFF
On April 17, students from around the world will remain silent for all or part of the school day to bring attention to the name-calling, discrimination, bullying and harassment experienced by LGBT youth.
The National Day of Silence, a student-led action sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, has grown over the years. Despite this, organizers from GLSEN and Lambda Legal have heard from hundreds of students, parents and allies who have encountered resistance from their schools in response to their efforts to participate in Day of Silence activities.
Students typically take a vow of silence as a symbolic representation of the silencing effect of anti-LGBT language and bullying experienced by LGBT students and their allies. The international event has been honored by more than 8,000 middle and high schools, colleges and universities in every state and 70 countries from around the world. Participants are encouraged to pass out information cards to teachers and colleagues, describing why they choose to stay silent.
According to GLSEN's most recent National School Climate Survey, the only survey on the school experiences of LGBT middle and high school students in the country, 85 percent of LGBT students were verbally harassed at school in the past year and nearly two-thirds heard homophobic remarks frequently or often.
GLSEN has provided a FAQ for participants and highlights information about the rights of students who participate in the Day of Silence and what to do if school officials interfere with those rights.
Read the FAQ here.
