Orange County students along with millions across the nation will observe the Day of Silence on April 25 this year, dedicating it mainly to the young gay man killed in Oxnard this February.
The Day of Silence began 12 years ago on the University of Virgina campus to honor members of the LGBT community. In 2006, an estimated 450,000 students and more than 4,000 middle schools, high schools, and colleges participated in the observation. The main focus of the Day of Silence is to bring more awareness in LGBT discrimination and prejudice. It acts as a protest without any words at all.
Long Beach State student Christin Eitel is supportive because she sees that participation in the Day of Silence could help her campus. Not only would students take notice, it would also get them involved in discussion of the issues, leading to overall awareness.
April 25 will be the twelfth annual Day of Silence. Along with several community activities planned, hundreds of thousands of students and community members are expected to take part in the silence in memory of those who have been silenced over the years based on their sexuality or gender identification.
Last year's "speaking out" cards read as follows:
Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. What are you going to do to end the silence?
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