Today Is the Day of Silence: Stop School Bullying

by Alex DiBranco · 2010-04-16 09:06:00 UTC
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Today, students across the country will be speaking up for their LGBTQ peers by staying silent all day long.

To symbolize the way in which anti-queer bullying, name-calling, and harassment forces students to keep their sexual orientation or gender identity quiet, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students and allies participate in the Day of Silence. They also sport stickers explaining their reasons for silence, and asking people to "Think about the voices you are not hearing today."

Every student should feel that school is a safe place where they can be who they are, without the fear of being a target of hateful attacks. Yet Jordan Rubenstein reports on the Gay Rights blog that some people find the Day of Silence so offensive, they're organizing students to walk out of school. Is seeing your peers offer a silent protest against hate and discrimination really that offensive? No matter what the cause — sexual orientation, religious preference, gender — bullying and harassment silences vibrant young voices that should be developing and taking pride in their identities. And everyone should be taking a stand to stop that from happening.

Bullying and harassment have serious consequences; at the extreme, they can lead to suicide. When 11-year-old students are killing themselves over homophobic harassment, you know that something is deeply wrong. Carl Walker-Hoover, a child who was harassed for his perceived sexual orientation, would have been celebrating his birthday tomorrow, if he hadn't been driven to take his own life. So whether you're participating in the Day of Silence today or not, think about the students, especially children, who are afraid every day to reveal who they are. Do your part to make your school or workplace a safe, inclusive, intolerance- and hate-free zone, and please give your support to the Student Non-Discrimination Act.

A moment of silence, please.

Photo credit: Megadeth's Girl

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.

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