National Day of Silence: Shutting Up for Justice

Today marks the 15^th annual National Day of Silence, organized by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). This student-led civil protest will unite LGBT youth and their allies in thousands of middle schools, high schools and colleges nationwide. In a nature-defying act of solidarity, teens hold their tongues to call attention to the insults, bullying and harassment that LGBT youth—and those perceived as LGBT—too often face in our schools.

The statistics describing the problem are stark and worth repeating:

•  Almost nine out of 10 LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school (2007 National School Climate Survey [2]);

•  Sixty percent of LGBT students report feeling unsafe at school, with 30 percent missing at least one day of classes in the past month due to fears about personal safety (2007 National School Climate Survey [2]);

•   Students report two out of the top three reasons for bullying are perceived sexual orientation and gender expression (From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America [3], 2005 [3]).

Personal stories, though, do a better job of making real the painful experiences behind the numbers. And Itawamba Agricultural High School’s mean-spirited treatment of Constance McMillen [4] in her quest to wear a tux and take her girlfriend to prom makes clear what no survey can convey. LGBT youth regularly face hostility most of their straight peers can hardly imagine.

In fact, Constance’s story is rare and newsworthy in part because so many other LGBT kids remain too intimidated to announce their sexual identity. Those kids go to the prom and dance with their opposite-sex dates. They hang with popular friends and maybe laugh when someone tells a gay joke. But they are silent inside, anxiously obedient to the unspoken social pressures, and part of them is sick about it. The National Day of Silence represents the silenced hearts, minds and bodies of these kids, too. 

Please keep this in mind today and throughout the school year. (FYI—GLSEN’s guidelines also state that students should not use their vow of silence as an excuse not to answer in class.) You can find out more here [5] about the Day of Silence’s scope and purpose. This website offers background information, suggestions for organizing, behavior guidelines and many helpful resources. The hopeful goal of this quiet day is to make schools—and school proms—safe and welcoming for the voices of every kind of kid. Good luck to you in seeing that happen.

Editor's Note: If you're having trouble accessing GLSEN's website, this [6] might explain why. You may have to use a computer at home.