Today, more than 300 Ohio University lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and their allies will go through their daily routines in complete silence.
These students are participating in the 11th annual National Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the discrimination, harassment and silence of LGBT people. From sun up until sun down, participants will not speak. They will wear T-shirts and pass out cards describing the reason for their silence.
The first Day of Silence was created by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and first was held at the University of Virginia in 1996, according to DayofSilence.org. Today more than 1,900 middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities across the country participate in the event.
SHADES, an OU organization for multicultural LGBT students, brought the Day of Silence to OU during Pride Week last year, said Evan Robinson, SHADES president.
The (LGBT) community as a whole is silenced every day
Robinson said. (Participating) gives you a lot of time to reflect to look at the issue of not having a voice (and to see) how hurtful that can be.
If participating students are required to talk in class or have a presentation, they can, but they are otherwise asked to remain silent until a Breaking the Silence event at 8 p.m. in Baker University Center Ballroom. Students will share their Day of Silence stories and hear a lecture by Staceyann Chin, a black/Chinese lesbian author and poet.
Last year, Robinson said he was greeted with questions and strange looks while he participated in the Day of Silence. Some students tried to convince him to talk.
Robinson said SHADES asks that students respect the participators' silence and avoid using derogatory terms while participators engage in the protest.
The Day of Silence is open to everyone, Robinson said. Students who are interested in getting T-shirts and cards should stop by the LGBT Program Center in Baker 354.
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