For Immediate Release, February 3, 2005
The National Council of Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns endorsed this year's "Day of Silence" on January 26, 2005. Sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 13, 2005.
The Day of Silence, a project of GLSEN in collaboration with the United States Student Association (USSA), is a national student-led effort in which participants take a vow of silence to peacefully protest the discrimination and harassment faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in schools.
Affirmation's co-spokesperson Rev. Peggy R. Gaylord said, "We are pleased to affirm the mission of the Day of Silence. We recognize and acknowledge the importance of young people's roles in the social justice movement. They've asked us, What are you going to do to end the silence?" The first thing we're going to do is support their effort and tell others about it."
Last year's Day of Silence was the most successful and widely supported since the event's inception in 1996. An estimated record 300,000 students from more than 3,000 K-12 schools, colleges and universities in all 50 states participated.
Jesús Ortega, Executive Director of OUT YOUTH in Austin was among the list of this year's endorsers to express his support for the event, "We at OUT YOUTH believe that a national day of silence in protest of anti-LGBT bias is remarkable, critical and important. The youth, by making a vow of silence for one day, scream beyond words: 'Equality for All Students.'"
In addition to observances throughout the day on campuses, many students participate in "Breaking the Silence" rallies at the Day's end, events at which students come together to express themselves and share their experiences with members of their local communities.
GLSEN announced mid-January that more than 70 new national and local organizations signed on in the first week of outreach. Organizations interested in showing support of the project can become endorsers on the Day of Silence website, which also has more information and a complete collection of organizing materials. Endorsers to date may be seen at http://www.dayofsilence.org/endorsements/endorsers.php.
GLSEN is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. Established nationally in 1995, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. For more information on GLSEN's educational resources, public policy agenda, student organizing programs or development initiatives, visit http://www.glsen.org.