Day of (No) Silence: April 12, 2024
Photo by Alexander Grey from Pexels.
Evan Rosenau
Every year, on the second Friday of April, LGBTQ+ students, teachers, and their allies refuse to speak. They hold this tradition yearly, supported by GLSEN, an organization that “works to ensure that LGBTQ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment.” They have done so since the mid-90s, now reaching hundreds of thousands of students across the world in a demonstration coined the Day of Silence. At the end of the day, each of these students breaks the silence, letting their voices be heard to bring attention to the ways their classrooms can be more inclusive.
But that is no longer the case; with over eight hundred anti-LGBTQ+ pieces of legislation being proposed over the last year and the dangers of being LGBTQ+ rapidly increasing, GLSEN and its allies have decided it is time to take a stand (GLSEN, 2024). This year, hundreds of thousands of students, including our own Hamilton Gender and Sexuality Club (formerly known as GSA), will participate in Day of (No) Silence. This change was made for numerous reasons. For one, in 2023, the ACLU tracked eighty-four anti-LGBTQ+ bills that were passed into law (American Civil Liberties Union, 2023). These bills affected a large quantity of Americans, as the Pew Research Center found in June of 2023 that around 7% of Americans identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, with that number being nearly 17% for adults ages 18-29. However, despite these large numbers, 81% of bisexual adults say they are out to only some, a few, or none of the important people in their lives (Brown, 2023). This evidence of distrust of the LGBTQ+ community has forced websites such as thetrevorproject.org or GLSEN.org, aimed to provide resources to LGBTQ+ people, to take precautions, providing ways to quickly escape their sites, either by triple tapping a screen or the ESC button.
““The Day of Silence is important because it firstly shows a united front between all who participate directly and support indirectly.
People existing as their most authentic selves are often shut down or told to ‘tone it back,’ and we often don’t see the joy they bring until it’s gone.
Take time on this day to notice where voices are lacking in classes you usually hear them. Those are the people who feel silenced in so many other ways.” ”
““The day of silence is a very important day for LGBTQ students and even staff in schools. Very often the community is bullied, treated unfairly, and/or ignored. The Day of Silence helps bring awareness to LGBTQ students in schools who are silenced every day.” ”
For this new iteration of a decades-long tradition, GLSEN has suggested ways that we, as a community, can show our support for those around us. Most prominently, don’t stay silent online; share posts, stories, videos, and resources about the Day of (No) Silence! Spread the word to others! Teachers can look at Action Guides from GLSEN: linked for both hostile and supportive communities. GLSEN even has some more fun ways to engage! For instance, LGTBQ+ youth can enter their Rainbow Writes contest, and anyone can participate in their #WritingPromptWednesday! Most importantly, use your voice and vote to show support for the LGBTQ+ community! If this level of speech is not comfortable for you, the option to remain silent still remains as a way to show your solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.
At Hamilton, the Gender and Sexuality Club will be wearing rainbow heart stickers to show support for its members. If you would like one to show your support, stop by the choir room on either April 11 or 12.
All in all, the Day of Silence is about unity, whether it be standing in silent solidarity with those who are in danger or speaking powerfully in unified speech. This year, speak loud on social media, proudly share your support through a sticker, make a non-vocal stand with your peers, or simply express yourself in the way most comfortable to you. Let’s make this Day of (No) Silence impact!
More info on Day of (No) Silence: GLSEN
References
American Civil Liberties Union. (2023). Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures in 2023. American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved April 1, 2024, from https://www.aclu.org/legislative-attacks-on-lgbtq-rights-2023
Brown, A. (2023, June 23). Key findings about LGBTQ+ Americans for Pride month. Pew Research Center. Retrieved April 1, 2024, from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/23/5-key-findings-about-lgbtq-americans/
GLSEN. (2024). Day of (No) Silence. GLSEN. Retrieved April 1, 2024, from https://www.glsen.org/dayofnosilence
