Today, Friday, April 25, 2008, is the Day of Silence across the United States. Students in over 6500 schools nationwide are participating, the highest number of schools to date. Organized by students, the Day of Silence, seeks to promote solidarity and support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

The Day of Silence was started by students at the University of Virginia in 1996, and is now maintained nationally by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students.

What does it involve? Students, from middle school to college, take some form of a vow of silence to bring attention to the name-calling, bullying and harassment — in effect, the silencing — experienced by LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) students and their allies. This year’s Day of Silence will be held in memory will be held in memory of Lawrence King.  

Lawrence King was a 15-year-old student from Oxnard, California, who was shot and killed in class on February 12 by a 14-year-old classmate because of King’s sexual orientation and gender expression. The hate crime received little media attention but has served as a rallying cry for the need to address anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment. Organizers have registered more than 100 vigils across the country in remembrance of King at www.rememberinglawrence.org.

Michaela Graham, co-chair of the Day of Silence committee at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, said, ”Our society is not really at the point where it is OK to talk about everything. Day of Silence is a way to show support during which everyone bands together and is silenced together.”

Many nay-sayers think the day is unnecessary, even immoral. But, according to a 2005 National School Climate Survey, four of five LGBT students reported physical, verbal or sexual harassment at school. Thirty percent reported missing a day of school out of fear for their personal safety.

Also, according to the Center for Disease Control/Massachusetts Department of Education Youth Risk Behavior Survey (1999), 33% of gay youth will attempt suicide. In fact, gay teen suicide attempts are four times that of heterosexual youth. That’s 80% of all suicide attempts are among gay teens. 

And what about the morality component from the nay sayers? We’ll let the next generation and history judge their actions. 

Students across the U.S. are posting clips on youtube to support The Day of Silence. Here’s an example:

Even though we’ve posted these before, you can watch the Public Service Announcements by Lance Bass, T.R. Knight, and Larry King from CNN here: