day of silence

[Mastiker]

Well... I'm not so sure how well this is known, so I'll describe it.

In schools around America (is it just America?) students supporting gay rights spend 24 hours in complete silence. I figured I'd participate because I'm pretty open-minded, and I think that homophobia is the stupidest thing that man could do. Anyways, I was never explained the basic idea behind it, simply "it supports gay rights"... I know there's an actual reason behind it, but I can't ask anyone at school who would know, because they're silent today. I was wondering if anyone else knew the major reason that the silence represents...

also, does anyone think this is a good idea? i mean, does being silent actually acomplish anything?

[PopCulturePooka]

I don't think its a good idea to make a political statement that you don't know the reasoning behind.

[Mastiker]

well, i heard it was because gays were being silent because they weren't sure if the person they spoke to was homophobic, but that doesn't make too much sense to me. why be silent when you'd be better off talking? personally, being silent sounds too much like lying, and that doesn't help anybody.

edit: technically, silence doesn't sound like anything, but you get what i mean >_>

[Lisa M]

I was going to do it, and then I realized that I have to run meetings and stuff today.

The card says:

"Day of Silence.

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 GLBT people and their allies. My deliverate 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."

[PopCulturePooka]

Googled and Wiki'ed.

Its an annual student-organized day of action to protest the bullying and harassment of homosexuals. Students take a day-long vow of silence to symbolically represent the silencing of LGBT students and their rights.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_silence

[Mastiker]

I was going to do it, and then I realized that I have to run meetings and stuff today.

The card says:

"Day of Silence.

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 GLBT people and their allies. My deliverate 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."

I didn't get a card :meh: Okay, well... that's cleared out of the way...

Does this actually do something? I don't really want to participate in something if it's not going to serve a purpose and if I don't feel that strongly about it. I mean, I feel strong about gay rights, and I don't think that there should be any more homophobics, but is that good enough to participate?

[PopCulturePooka]

Its your call.

I say no, you shouldn't because you aren't too sure what its all about or the reasons behind it, so you'd only be towing a line.

I'm a believer in the idea that if you protest/make a statement you do it informed, so you don't accidently follow a bum cause or come accross as a hypocrit.

[Mastiker]

I'm a believer in the idea that if you protest/make a statement you do it informed, so you don't accidently follow a bum cause or come accross as a hypocrit.

Look at my title :P I call myself a hypocrite for a reason, ya know

[Anders]

A national day of silence symbolizing the silence of the LGBT community? While I fully support equal rights/treatment of anyone regardless of sexual orientation, I think a "day of silence" isn't going to do anything more than give opponents a day off from hearing about LGBT rights. People are easy enough to ignore if they're not talking to you.
In my mind, there are much better ways to get the attention needed. Getting a lot of people to send individual letters to legislators is a good way of letting your elected officials know that you want equal rights for everyone. Calling their offices is another good way- just make sure you tell the staffer that you want a call back. You can get to the people by setting up a table outside a supermarket (if you're allowed) and talk to people. It would be extremely effective if you went to a parade or special event where there are a lot of people moving though one area. Frame the debate. A lot of people think that the LGBT community is looking for special rights- giving them more rights than anyone else just because they're LGBT. Unfortunately this is an opinion encouraged by certain political organizations (KKK, republican party, right-wing religious groups) You're job is to expose these lies and let people know why we need to ensure equal rights for everyone. Sell t-shirts that have pro-LGBT rights sayings on them. Hold an event and invite various representatives from the media. Getting your cause on TV helps you reach entire regions instead of just a handful of people.

[l337moomoo]

mm i dont think its that much of a good idea, wait..... is it ONLY the gay's doing this? because if it were i think it would be uneffective and not a good idea, but if people were in the silence, i think that wouldbe a good idea.

[/|/@/|/@し]

As much as I support the rights of LGBT people, I've never participated in it because don't see how it's going to help anything. (My opinion) Any hate directed to is from ignorance(And some cases stupidity), and to me ignorance is helped by education. If someone is keeping their mouths shut for an entire day and most of the majority of the population doesn't know why then no one will learn anything. I'd rather be educating people the entire day about why someone shouldn't be hated than become silent when most people don't understand why.

Although there is the possibility it may draw attention to the cause, it won't educate someone.

[Mastiker]

as far as i know, anybody that wants to participate can.

but yeah... it does make more sense to spend the whole day telling people about gay rights than just being quiet all day :meh:

[gentlemanandscholar]

It's an easy form of protest for those who want to feel good about themselves, but don't want to move to actual levels of change. Why not write a letter to your state? Picket a homophobic church (which IMO doesn't do anything but make people angry anyways)?

I'm perfectly for gay rights etc. I'm against useless neo-hippy "protesting".

[Kaji]

It's an easy form of protest for those who want to feel good about themselves, but don't want to move to actual levels of change. Why not write a letter to your state? Picket a homophobic church (which IMO doesn't do anything but make people angry anyways)?

I'm perfectly for gay rights etc. I'm against useless neo-hippy "protesting".

You know, I was just thinking "Yay! The one day of the year I don't have to listen to anyone complain about the subject!"

hehehe...

Seriously, what good does a protest do if it makes the other side grateful that they don't have to put up with your shit for a day?

[Snake eyeS]

As much as I support the rights of LGBT people, I've never participated in it because don't see how it's going to help anything. (My opinion) Any hate directed to is from ignorance(And some cases stupidity), and to me ignorance is helped by education. If someone is keeping their mouths shut for an entire day and most of the majority of the population doesn't know why then no one will learn anything. I'd rather be educating people the entire day about why someone shouldn't be hated than become silent when most people don't understand why.

Although there is the possibility it may draw attention to the cause, it won't educate someone.

Jackpot.

Please give this person a cookie :)

[Radiance]

I concur with G&S, it is an easy form of protest for those that don't actually want to see change. They get to feel good about themselves because "they supported the LGBT community" but in reality they did squat. I don't claim to support a cause or change, but I do support equal treatment for everyone regardles of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, or any other aspect of a person that might set them apart from others. I'll relate a story to you, but keep in mind I am not supporting violence when I tell this, I made the wrong choice in my actions and later applogized for them and admitted I was in the wrong regardless of how others acted.

In highschool I had a very diverse group of friends, we were the unpopular kids that banded together just to piss off the popular kids. We represented a large number of different aspects of humanity, not all, but a lot. One of our group decided she was going to express herself openly at an open poem night. We told her we didn't think it was the best idea because of how closed minded the school body was. She said she knew it wasn't a great idea but she wanted to do it. So we supported her. For the most part her poem was vague and filled with imagry, the student body was too stupid to see through it. That was until she got to a line she had improvised into her poem. "I like to kiss girls and some day I would like to experiment with gender bending."

Well, you could say it was safe to assume they understood what she was saying at that point. The students all roared with various different reactions, the staff were all wide eyed. Aside from her close friends no one else realized she was homosexual. So the next two days passed with little more than people whispering to each other when she walked by, which I was more than aware of since we shared most of the same classes. Well, on the third day we were going from our drama class to our home EC class and as we were walking a group of the popular guys came up behind us and one of them decided he had the best one liner he could think of. "What? You couldn't get an attractive boyfriend so you switched teams?" I don't know why I did it, and I fully expected to get my ass kicked, but mid-stride I turned and laid him out. "What did you say? Don't mumble if you have something to say." I honestly think his friends were too shocked to react, they just kinda looked at us and didn't even help him until I was already walking away. "Holy shit, are you okay dude?"

Fourty five minutes later I was called into the assistant principals office and suspended for three days, which apparently wasn't good enough for me because I had to say "Three days for fighting? but it wasn't even much of a fight, he was out in one swing. Maybe next time he will keep his mouth shut and think twice before harassing people." "I don't care what he said, you were wrong to resort to physical violence." "*sigh* You're right, I should have just reported him, but I didn't so i'll gladly serve my suspension."

After that day, he was never anything but courteous to my friend. I'm not proud of the way I did it, but I caused a change in his attitude. So my point is, while you shouldn't resort to physical violence like I did, someone has to take an obvious stand and let others know that things like that are not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

edit: spelling, also holy crap I wrote more than I thought.

[Lisa M]

The thing with loud protesting is that people are so good at ignoring it. I don't know how many protests I've just driven by, or thrown out the fliers for. If people aren't talking, and aren't making things simple, then it makes people think.

[Kewl Imp]

Day of silence for gays is like a Day of Silence for the deaf. Its not going to change anything much less create a movement. The racist, bigots, gay bashers, and general idoits will just have more time to talk about why they hate Gays. It is however a wonderful thought, but in the end its not going to do anything worthwhile. I know I will be talking.

[Tekdude]

Apparently at my campus, since being silent is virtually impossible, the alternative was to wear black. Well... guess what I wore today without even realizing it. Couple that with my antisocial silent personality, and I think everyone I walked past today thought I was gay.

[MNJetter]

The whole day of silence thing sounds like something made up by a bunch of high school/college kids getting a rush from the whole "noble cause" state of mind. Back in high school, I used to throw myself enthusiastically into protests, marches, days of silence, days of shouting at The Man......now, taking a step back from my school days, all of the adolescent, adrenaline-pumped protest methods seem so silly and self-serving - they do little more than make the protesters feel important because they're standing up for the cause. I'm all for a noble cause, but now I prefer methods that will actually accomplish something, like getting involved in the process instead of just screaming impotantly that the process doesn't work. Of course the process doesn't work if everybody on your side isn't actually getting involved.

The day of silence is useless, I think. It's a nice thought, as most social protests go, but what are they going to do, ban free speech against homosexuals? They won't do that any more than they would ban free speech against races or genders, as long as the speech isn't directly harming anything. Ban randomly attacking and harassing people? They already did. It's not like they can make preventative arrests if they know you're a homophobe. Convince homophobes that what they're doing is wrong? If you're not saying something, how in heavens name will you accomplish that!?

The only people who will think "oooh, symbolic silence" and be impressed are the people who are rooting for the day of silence already. Everybody is silent and pious for a day, and then afterwards they pat themselves on the back and rejoice at having changed the world.........

This post sounds a little more bitter than I meant it to, and not specifically directed at anybody here. But useless protests are kind of a pet peeve, I guess.

[h2orowe]

We had this thing, but for school violence on last Friday, I think. It's STUPID.
I'm for gay rights, completely, but seriously. Being silent isn't going to accomplish anything
SPEAK OUT AGAINST PREJUIDICE!

[Frankey-eh]

we did this too!
I didn't do it too, because I missed the informational meeting. I would have done it though. just to have an excuse not to talk. and see what it feels like.

Actually, my history teacher was the advisor for the club that sponsored this, and so she partook it in too. So for that day, for 2 hours, she gave us a silent lecture using powerpoints... on the civil rights movement.

that's how I realized, talking helps me sit though lectures and copy down notes.

[Pookie42]

but u kno, i don't htink its just people tryign to change "the system" or "the man" i think peopel are just trying to reach other people with teh day of silence. its really something to have a class thats almost entirely silent wiht the lil card on their shirt with the message u know? i mean i think it might make some people rethink WHY they are agianst LGBT rights when so many people seem to be supporting it and in that way i think it can be useful.
btw: i participated last year but not this year because i had a presentaiton a teacher couldnt move.

[Klilynkun]

I should get a day of silence too... loads of ppl are always trying to silence me.... I'M PROTESTING :eyepop:

[Pierrot le Fou]

I'm not proud of the way I did it, but I caused a change in his attitude. So my point is, while you shouldn't resort to physical violence like I did, someone has to take an obvious stand and let others know that things like that are not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

It takes balls to stand up to someone, especially someone who's more popular than you or whatnot in High School. And y'know what? I'm proud of you for punching him out. Sure, violence is bad, blah blah blah, but it worked. And he shut the Hell up. And I assume you caused no permanent damage. So good for you.

Part of growing up is making mistakes. That was only a mistake in that you got in trouble for it. Otherwise it seemed to work out all well. Perhaps even the punishment was good, because it taught you that there are consequences for changing minds with your fist rather than finding out the hard way that continued use of the fist will probably get some of the same medicine.

Point is, guy says bad thing, you flattened him, he shuttup. No harm, no foul, all is well in the world.

[Klilynkun]

oh yeah... btw.... whay is LGBT?

[Mastiker]

Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender.

[BigJDiesel20]

:sarcasm: (Never heard of the day. See i live in good old South Carolina where gays are shuned.
:box: )

[Morel]

I have no problem with homosexuals.. Less competition for me for the laaadieeees.. ;)

[Mysticalmelody]

The day of silence does have an impact if it's done well. Students seeing, flyers and t-shirts or their friends being completely silent will be curious and wonder why, then they'll be informed. There should be some people who are not silent that day so they can explain things.

The best day of silence i've seen was last year at my high school. We got many people involved and posted papers around school a week before with statistics to make people think. We had t-shirts and buttons made and sold them to people who wanted to participate. We gave out those cards saying why people were being silent. On the actual day we had a sit-in on the rally stage and our club president gave a great speech. We reached a lot of people that day. :)

I think homophobia is stupid. If you're afraid that someone of the same sex is going to hit on you, you obviously think too highly of yourself. If they do hit on you, you ought to feel flattered. If you think you'll get grossed out, just get over it and think of it as simply someone of the opposite sex you'd never date.

Now, if you happen to take your homophobic thoughts and turn them into hatred, then use that hatred to harass or bully someone, then I have absolutely NO respect for you. That's just cruel, and it happens far more often than you think.

[Orclover]

What I dont understand is why they dont have a "day of yelling and swearing" instead. Silent people are ignored, but several thousand people screaming "GOD DAMMIT YOU HOMOPHOBIC ASSHOLES GET THE THE FUCK OVER IT ALREADY!!!" Gets everybodys attention.

[Morel]

The thing with loud protesting is that people are so good at ignoring it. I don't know how many protests I've just driven by, or thrown out the fliers for. If people aren't talking, and aren't making things simple, then it makes people think.

I was going to say something totally intelligent and wise.

But then I saw Lisa's Avatar and my mind stopped working..


;) /duck

[Mysticalmelody]

What I dont understand is why they dont have a "day of yelling and swearing" instead. Silent people are ignored, but several thousand people screaming "GOD DAMMIT YOU HOMOPHOBIC ASSHOLES GET THE THE FUCK OVER IT ALREADY!!!" Gets everybodys attention.


It may get someone's attention but who will listen? Notice that commercial on TV for that cell phone company where it suddenly goes dead silent and it makes you look up from what you're doing to see why. It's the same impact. Try and ask someone a question who is participating that day and you won't get a response. It will make you think about things when you read their card and you find out why. You might even ask questions. (to get a written response)

It's symbolic. All those little times when LGBT people were forced into silence because when hate crimes happen to them it is kept hush-hush. Their harasser is only given a slap on the wrist. Threatening letters reported FROM TEACHERS to their LGBT students are ignored.

It's also not that these people do not send letter after letter and petition after petition to the higher ups, because they do. It's the every day silencing, and the overall "if we don't see it it isn't there" attitude people have in this country. So, best thing to do is really to make people see what's happening in a symbolic fashion. If they protested being silenced by being loud that would be going against the message.

Also I think part of it may be that schools are more likely to support a day of silent protest than a day of picketing and loud yelling every year. It makes a lot more sense if you think about it, beyond "uhhh they aren't saying anything, how stupid is that?" Also it avoids confrontation. Having a group yelling from the opposite side would be bad, and create a lot of conflict, and possibly hurt people.