Today, April 25, is the National Day of Silence, an observance of the rights and experiences of gay and lesbian students who often feel their sexual identity is silenced in high school and middle school cultures. The idea is that students who choose to participate in the Day of Silence spend an entire day not speaking. Of course, this sort of protest requires the support of school teachers and administrators, many of whom require students to speak in the regular course of a school day.

This year the Day of Silence holds special significance because of the shooting of 15 year old Lawrence King in Oxnard, California. King was shot at his school by a fellow classmate because Lawrence had not remained silent about his sexual identity.

I was somewhat saddened to view a news segment on KATU (local Portland ABC news affiliate) last night that featured several students announcing that they would skip school on the Day of Silence rather than be subjected to support of a homosexual lifestyle. Their parents are backing them, of course. One young man feared that his normally quiet demeanor at school might be misinterpreted as support for GLBT students.

Interestingly, the reporter first stated that school administrators (the segment focused on Oregon City High School) had not returned calls, but then she added that attempts to reach the administrators occurred after school hours. In a more interesting development, my attempts to find the story on KATU’s website this morning yielded nothing. Every other story that ran last night is on their site…but not this one. Perhaps journalistic integrity won the day a little late and they realized that running a story like this without a single dissenting view is just plain wrong. I wonder how much damage was done before they came to their senses.

A quick search on the web finds other protests, incuding this one out of Snoqualmie, Washington:

Pastor to protest day of silence at Mount Si High School

Not everyone is going to be quiet Friday during the National Day of Silence.

Pastor Ken Hutcherson said on 710 KIRO’s Dori Monson Show that this day, in support of gay and lesbian rights, is being forced on students at Mt. Si High School in Snoqualmie.

Hutcherson says, “Our kids come to school to be educated, not indoctrinated. And it’s just getting out of hand up here at this school.”

Hutcherson and his wife took out a full page ad in Wednesday’s “Snoqualmie Valley Record” that called for 1,000 prayer warriors to gather outside the front of the school Friday morning.

“If they want to do something, fine. Just make it before school or after school, like the Christians have to do. If they want to meet, they meet before school,” said Hutcherson.

Students who participate in the day remain silent in recognition of students who remain silent about their sexual orientation because of fear of prejudice or retaliation.

The story about the Snoqualmie preacher is from the Gay News Blog

What do you think? Do they have a right to protest? Did you participate in the Day of Silence? How much more significant is it this year? Leave your comments below…

Comments RSS