I thought it was quiet around here today. According to Mombian, it turns out that thousands of students are holding silence today in honor of the 11th Annual Day of Silence
which is hoped to bring attention to the problem of anti-LGBT bullying,
harrassment, and discrimination in schools. Students and teachers
alike are observing the day in silence to echo the silence that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered
kids and their allies face everyday. Some of the silent kids will pass
out "speaking cards" to spread word about and explain what they are
doing.
I
don't know, when I was a kid, I never thought much about
activism. Who wants to stand out, let alone take a stand? The closest I
got was to refuse to say the "Pledge of Allegiance" every morning (ooh,
I know, I was such a rebel). But these kids, and they're not
necessarily LGBT to take part in today's silence, are courageously
taking a stand against something that most people won't talk about, let
alone do something to bring it to people's attention.
Bullying
should be stopped, no matter who is the victim. I applaud these kids
and teachers for what they are doing today, and I hope that the
increased awareness that it brings will help someone, many someones, even if it's just
one kid who's saved from a miserable existence because he's no longer
being bullied and harrassed.
