More "Day of Silence" Articles

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Anti-gay pastor, pro-gay students face off in dueling 'Day of Silence' protests

by Nick Langewis

As over 7,300 K-12 schools observe GLSEN's 12th annual Day of Silence today, battle lines are drawn between a vocal anti-gay pastor, his "prayer warriors," and the gay-straight alliance at one high school in the Pacific Northwest.
Mount Si High School, in Snoqualmie, Washington, is undergoing what is being called retaliation for an incident during a Martin Luther King Day speech given by Rev. Ken Hutcherson of Antioch Bible Church in nearby Redmond.
Antioch, having placed a newspaper ad encouraging parents to show up at the school to picket this morning, was countered by another ad by Tolt UCC Congregational Church, voicing its support.
"We send our kids there to get an education, not an indoctrination," Hutcherson told KING 5.
"It's personal," Mount Si principal Randy Taylor told the Seattle Times Thursday. "We embarrassed him at the Martin Luther King assembly. It's payback."
"Of course it's personal," Hutcherson concurred. "They embarrassed me and they embarrassed my daughter." The pastor's daughter, also a Mount Si student, helped organize the engagement.
Hutcherson, during his January 19 appearance, was booed by one teacher and asked by another how he could promote racial equality, while at the same time speak out against equality for sexual minorities.
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PFLAG National Blog: A Report from Mount Si

Barb Clark-Elliott, President of PFLAG’s Seattle chapter, journeyed out to Mount Si High School this morning to support students taking part in the annual Day of Silence. Mount Si, as we reported earlier, has become the target of Reverend Ken Hutcherson, who has called out 1,000 “prayer warriors” to protest the school’s participation in this year’s observance. This is Barb’s report from the ground.


Ariane Kurita, President of the Bellevue PFLAG Chapter, and I attended the early-morning of supporters (parents, GLSEN reps., former students, etc.) who lined up to show support for the arrival of students at Mt. Si High School today. The group planned to be present from 7am to 8am, then break up and - those who could - be at the library for the GLSEN press conference.

Because I got lost in the winding mountain foothills roads on the way there, I arrived after 7am. Ariane was already there, thank goodness. We wore our bright yellow “I’m a PFLAG Mom” buttons, I wore my purple t-shirt with PFLAG across the front and I carried a PFLAG sign. Rainbow-color cloth strips were provided and we each tied one on our arm or around our neck to show solidarity.

Almost everyone in the crowd held a supportive sign or rainbow flag, umbrella - something that showed we were all of the same mind and purpose. There was one news camera there - I don’t know which one - and he left shortly after I arrived.
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365Gay.com: Record Number Of Schools Observe Day Of Silence

(New York City) Students from some 6,000 middle and high schools are taking part today in the 12th annual National Day of Silence to bring attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender name-calling, bullying and harassment.
This year the observance is being held this year in memory of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old from Oxnard, Calif., who was shot and killed in school on Feb. 12 because of his sexual orientation and gender expression.
"Young people from across the country have heard about this horrible tragedy and are coming together on the Day of Silence to show their support for safe schools for all students," said Kevin Jennings, executive director of GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, the event’s national sponsor.
"The Day of Silence brings hope to hundreds of thousands of students that their schools and their world can be safer and more tolerant places."
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The Daily Bruin: Speaking out with silence

Students vow not to communicate today in hopes of shedding light on suppression of LGBT voices

The Queer Alliance is participating in the National Day of Silence today to encourage support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community and to help UCLA students understand the issues that community faces.
This nationwide youth movement is happening at many universities and high schools across the country.
Students who choose to participate today plan to tie pieces of cloth around their mouths in the morning, to represent their mission to remain silent and to highlight their cause. They plan to remain silent from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and to pass out fliers to students to answer any questions and explain the purpose of the day.
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East Valley Tribune: How does silence threaten values?

Twelve years ago, a group of students from the University of Virginia wanted to call attention to the increasing incidents of violence and harassment against gay classmates. Their efforts, now recognized as a national Day of Silence on campuses across the nation, are still going strong. This year the planned activities will be held in memory of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old junior high student from Oxnard, Calif., who was shot and killed by a 14-year-old classmate because of his sexual orientation.
Today, hundreds of thousands of students from all beliefs and backgrounds are expected to participate in the quiet protest by taking a vow of silence for the day, in hopes of bringing an end to the name-calling and harassment that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students often endure while at school. The explicit intent of this Day of Silence is to make schools safer for all students and to let those who have experienced bullying know that they are not alone in their desire to find a solution to this national problem.
Bradford Bryant, a retired Methodist pastor and grandparent of a Desert Ridge High School student, has asked the Gilbert Unified School District governing board to take a stand and refuse to allow Gilbert schools to recognize the event. He has alleged that any participation “is complicit in supporting the homosexual assault on family values.” Apparently Bryant believes a perceived moral slight to be of more consequence than the very real physical, mental and emotional assaults the day is intended to quell.
A 2005 National Schools Climate Survey found that anti-LGBT bullying and harassment remains commonplace in schools across America with derogatory remarks and the constant threat of physical violence impairing the educational experience for many students. Over a third (37.8 percent) have endured physical harassment and nearly one-fifth (17.6 percent) have been physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation or gender expression.
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