DAY OF SILENCE - 17th of April 2009

What the hell is it?

The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-Lesbian Gay Bi, Transgender and Intersex name-calling, bullying, abuse and harassment in schools. Each year with hundreds of thousands of students come together to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBTI behavior, by being silent for one whole day.

Staying silent for a day aims to create awareness about an issue that is often ignored. LGBTI bullying is real. And it often goes unreported. Harrassment and abuse can become a serious threat to an LGBTI person's every day life. You shouldn't have to live in fear because of who you are and who you love.

Participants take a day long vow of silence and give out or wear cards with information about anti-LGBT treatment and ways for others to help "end the silence." If you can't stay silent, you can simply talk about the issue with other people, and offer your support.

Before you open your mouth, think about the shame and confusion an LGBTI person may have to face on a daily basis.
Remember all of those 'faggot' jokes?
Think about how you feel kissing your partner in public? Do you think an LGBTI person would feel safe to do the same?

- Think about living in a society where "gay/queer/fairy/faggot/queen/dyke" are common insults - about how ashamed you would feel if they're referring to people like you.

- Imagine coming out to your family and being afraid that you'll be kicked out of home or abandoned.

- Imagine being afraid of telling your friends because you could be ostracised, scorned, hated and ridiculed.

- Imagine having to hide who you are, and who you love, because of the ignorance of others.

- Imagine being ashamed of your gender identity - and having to face up to the fact that many people aren't going to want to understand.

- Think about being afraid to use a public restroom, because you're afraid you'll be bashed. (And it happens).

- Think about living every day as though there's something wrong with you - that somehow you're 'evil' or 'unnatural'.

- Imagine never being able to marry your partner - because your love isn't 'real enough' or 'decent' enough to be legally recognised. About never being able to raise a family with the person you love.

- Not to mention that in some countries, you can go to jail for being gay, and others where homosexuality is still punishable by death.

Suddenly keeping silent for one day doesn't seem so hard...

(But be realistic here, guys. If you're choosing to participate, be realistic about your situation. If you're a work, it might not be wise to ignore your customers . Be silent where possible, and tell others about the Day Of Silence if you can.)

Everyone should have the right to safety regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

The goal of the Day of Silence is to make schools safer for all students, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. In a Harris Interactive study on bullying, students said two of the top three reasons students are harassed in school are actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender expression. Additionally, nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students experience harassment at school.

The Day of Silence helps bring us closer to making anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and name-calling unacceptable.

Support your community by being open minded and helping to create awareness of the issue. Prejudice and ignorance are in most cases, the cause of LGBTI bullying and harrassment, but you can make a difference.

The Day of Silence can be organized in any school, public or private, middle school, high school or college. However, in middle and high schools, getting support from the school administration is critical. Students should not assume that administrators would not support their efforts - even if they have not supported LGBT issues in the past- because it's always important to ask and provide information to win support. Read more about getting administrative support in the Day of Silence Organizing Manual
[link]

Do I have a right to participate in the Day of Silence?
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. You do NOT have a right to remain silent during class time if a teacher asks you to speak. We recommend that you talk to your teachers ahead of time, tell them what you plan to do, and ask them if it would be okay for you to communicate on that day in writing. (ACLU)

The Day of Silence is about calling attention to the silence that many LGBTI students face. Make a difference.

Help stop the harrassment by understanding this issue, and that it happens.
Speak out if you see LGBTI bullying and harrassment. Be strong enough to help, and report the harrassment and abuse as soon as possible. Talk to the person being targeted, and offer them your assistance. Often LGBTI person that are being bullied don't believe that anyone will care enough to listen and help. They may be afraid that reporting the incidents will only make the harrassment much, much worse. Or they may believe that they're not worth helping.
If you're experiencing harrassment and abuse, tell someone. Even if it's just a trusted friend. If they're not willing to listen, find someone who will. Break the silence, and get the harrassment to stop.
Offer support to LGBTI students, colleagues and friends, give them help and the strength to report bullying and abuse.

Think about how much of a difference you can make to someone's life simply by listening and offering your understanding and support.
Listen so they don't have to suffer in silence. Let them know that they're not alone.

Participating in the Day of Silence can be a powerful, moving and sometimes challenging experience. Take care of Day of Silence participants and help keep everyone informed.

There are clubs around dA you can join and support, and find understanding and acceptance with like-minded people.
(and you don't have to identify as an LGBTI person to show your tolerance and support)

=dapride ~Gay-community-free ~GayBiRefuge-club ~gaypridepower ~gaystaightaliance
~Girl-x-Girl-Love ~Femme-Pride ~Femme-Pride :deviconflm: :devicongbsta: ~TheLesbianClub



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