The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. This year’s event will be held in memory of Lawrence King, a California 8th-grader who was shot and killed Feb. 12 by a classmate because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. Hundreds of thousands of students will come together on April 25 to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior.



http://www.dayofsilence.org/

i'm not gonna talk tomorrow

I think douche has taken the place of fag, faggot etc.

i don't talk very much during the week anyway, so tomorrow at least i'll have an excuse.

THe high school where I teach usually observes the "Day of Silence". Students get a permission slip signed ahead of time by their teachers (so they can't selectively opt for silence throughout the day ). Teachers can't participate as we have to teach, but we can choose to wear a ribbon supporting it. This year, we're on Spring Break, tho.

i'm going to an after party .... lol i know that sounds odd but it's true.

I heard Prince is doing Track 4 from Rave on Leno in support of this cause!

InsatiableCream said:

yeah ... right

One4All4Ever said:

i'm serious

InsatiableCream said:

just be sure not to imitate any emoticons again or you'll find yourself having to talk

Protege said:

One4All4Ever said:

he'd still end up talking when his teacher told him to leave

myle

Protege said:

you guys have no faith

InsatiableCream said:

i think you'll do it.

just as long as you don't decide to go all OHMYGOD or something

12th Annual National Day of Silence Honors the Memory of Slain Lawrence King

Hundreds of Thousands of Students to participate in Day of Silence for Safer Schools

NEW YORK: This year’s National Day of Silence on April 25 will be held in memory of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old California student who was shot and killed at school in February by a 14-year-old classmate because of King’s sexual orientation and gender expression.

The Day of Silence is held by students every year to bring attention to anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) name-calling, bullying and harassment. The senseless tragedy at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard, Calif., brings even more meaning to a day that has brought hope to millions of students.

Hundreds of thousands of students are expected to participate by taking some form of a vow of silence for the entire day or part of it. Their efforts will be supported by hundreds of community-based "Breaking the Silence" events at the end of the day. Together, concerned students will create a powerful call to action in order to prevent future tragedies.

Students hand out speaking cards during the Day of Silence that read:


"Silent for Lawrence King:
Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence (DOS), a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment. This year’s DOS is held in memory of Lawrence King, a 15 year-old student who was killed in school because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward building awareness and making a commitment to address these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today."


There are simple steps that all schools can take to make schools safer for all students and to end the endemic name-calling and harassment that LGBT students and their allies face every day. We need to act now so that Lawrence King and the countless others who endure anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment will not be forgotten, and so that we can create an enduring legacy of safer schools for all in their names.

GLSEN’s 2005 National School Climate Survey found that four out of five LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school and 29% report missing at least a day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety. The Day of Silence is one way students and their allies are making anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and name-calling unacceptable in America’s schools.

About the Day of Silence
The Day of Silence, a project of GLSEN, is a nationwide, student-led event during which thousands of high schools and colleges bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. For more information and a complete collection of organizing materials, visit www.dayofsilence.org.
http://www.dayofsilence.o.../news.html

SisterIona said:

that story bothers me to this day i will never understand how people can be so mean spirited

InsatiableCream said:

neither will i stories like that always make me lose that much more hope for humanity

Does this mean I can't listen to "Music Makes You Lose Control"?



No but seriously I would stay silent but I can't due to a french oral.
[Edited 4/24/08 17:55pm]

this is a good thing. Kids really need to be taught tolerance.

yay

i still haven't said all day