National Day of Silence

The Day of Silence, which will be celebrated on April 24, is a student-led day of action to support making anti-LGBT bullying and harassment unacceptable in schools. Students participate in events to recognize and protest the discrimination, harassment, and silencing experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students and their allies.

Students who participate in the Day of Silence often take a vow of silence during the school day, handing out “speaking cards” which explain the reason for their silence. This observance “gives hundreds of thousands of students in over 10,000 schools across the country an opportunity to stand together and ‘speak out’ against the endemic name-calling, bullying, and harassment faced by LGBT students and their allies,” according to https://gsafewi.org/.

The first Day of Silence was observed in 1996 at the University of Virginia, which was created by Maria Pulzetti who was a student at the University of Virginia. The date changes so that classes are usually in session, although this year is an exception.

A national school climate survey conducted by GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) in 2013 found that four out of five LGBT students reported verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school and a third reported missing at least one day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety.

While it won’t be celebrated on campus this year, students are still encouraged to participate and share a “speaking card” to excuse themselves from speaking.

“It’s accessible and an easy way to help,” said Ms. Vanessa Walling-Sisi, who is the adviser of the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club on campus. “Wearing the pins and being quiet, you are representing people who have been silenced by anti-LGBT violence. Anyone can participate to show that this is important.”