National Day of Silence

Today is the 12th annual National Day of Silence, a student-led day of action when concerned students – from middle school to college – take some form of a vow of silence to bring attention to the name-calling, bullying, and harassment experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and their friends.

This year’s Day of Silence 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. Find out more about the Lawrence King tragedy here.

The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) sponsors the event, and encourages students to participate in cooperation with their schools. Some students may choose to be silent for the day, while others might choose to be silent for part of the day, during lunch, or at a community event. Some students may participate in “Breaking the Silence” rallies where students come together at the end of the day to express themselves and share their experiences.

Here’s a PSA featuring Lance Bass about the day:

Right after Lawrence King was shot and killed, Ellen DeGeneres spoke out against the hate crime on her show. Ellen’s passionate plea for people to be accepting of everyone was powerful, and something I think everyone should see. .

Visit the Day of Silence website for tips on how to acknowledge the day at your school, or how you can participate if your school chooses not to support the day. And if you participate in this day at your school, please comment here and let us know what you did and how it was received!