Day of Silence

[Western Darenjo]

So, (if you're currently in America), the nationwide Day of Silence is tomorrow. This is an event, organized by GLSEN, and participated in by students where many students go a day without speaking to protest anti-LGBT bullying, and to bring attention to the fact that this bullying silences the gay, lesbian, bi, or transgender students who are bullied because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. I'm participating at my school, tomorrow (April 15th, 2011). Is anyone else participating or interested in it?

Here's the site: Day of Silence. Due to the event being tomorrow, at some points the server may be down due to too much traffic.

Also, to anyone who decides they want to participate, this is perhaps the most important thing to remember:

1. You DO have a right to participate in Day of Silence and other expressions of your opinion at a public school during non-instructional time: the breaks between classes, before and after the school day, lunchtime, and any other free times during your day. If your principal or a teacher tells you otherwise, you should contact our office or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

2. You do NOT have a right to remain silent during class time if a teacher asks you to speak. If you want to stay quiet during class on Day of Silence, we recommend that you talk with your teachers ahead of time, tell them that you plan to participate in Day of Silence and why it’s important to you, and ask them if it would be okay for you to communicate in class on that day in writing. Most teachers will probably say yes.

3. Your school is NOT required to "sponsor" Day of Silence. But Day of Silence is rarely a school-sponsored activity to begin with – it’s almost always an activity led by students. So don't be confused - just because your school isn’t officially sponsoring or participating in Day of Silence doesn’t mean that you can’t participate.

4. Students who oppose Day of Silence DO have the right to express their views, too. Like you, they must do so in a civil, peaceful way and they only have a right to do so during non-instructional time. For example, they don’t have a right to skip school on Day of Silence without any consequences, just as you don't have a right to skip school just because you don’t like what they think or say.

Please note that schools are NOT allowed to forbid you from taking part in the event (although if a teacher calls on you in class you must answer the question). The site has a legal form you can show to the school.