HRC Blog

Today is the National Day of Silence, the largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.  The event is promoted each year by the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Candace Gingrich, HRC's Youth & Campus Outreach Senior Manager, draws upon her experience--and a recent tragedy--to explain why the Day of Silence is important:

I participated in a Close-Up presentation at the Newseum on Thursday morning to discuss the representation of gays in the media. Close-Up is a great organization that brings high school students from across the country to Washington, DC to learn about government, civic responsibility and the political process. The Newseum’s program focuses on journalism and gives students an opportunity to put together and participate in a C-SPAN 2 television show. I’ve spoken to Close-Up groups before and knew it would be a good conversation. Students definitely have opinions—and no qualms about sharing them! The host asked one of the participants about the atmosphere for LGBT students at his high school. The young man answered that being gay or lesbian wasn’t really an issue at his school. Nobody really talked about it, he said. Except to make jokes. When I heard him say that, my mind immediately went to Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, an 11-year-old who hanged himself on April 6th after enduring anti-gay bullying and taunts at school that went largely unchecked by faculty. Walker-Hoover didn’t identify as gay, but that did not stop his schoolmates from targeting and harassing him. Despite repeated calls from Walker-Hoover’s mother asking for school officials to intervene, no one ever did—and now it’s too late.  Walker-Hoover was buried on Monday in Springfield, Mass. But there are efforts underway to address these very real and very serious issues. At the federal level, Congress will soon re-introduce the Safe-Schools Improvement Act – a bill to require schools and districts receiving federal funds to adopt codes of conduct that specifically prohibit bullying and harassment, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. This legislation, which is supported by organizations including the National Parent Teacher Association, American Association of School Administrators and American School Health Association, will also require states to report data on bullying to the Department of Education. Accurate reporting is a key step in identifying the problem and addressing how to change the climate in schools, and will go a long way toward ending the abuse that students like Carl Walker-Hoover suffer every day. Today, thousands of students in grade schools and on college campuses across the country will participate in the National Day of Silence to draw attention to the continued problem of school bullying and harassment. I am fortunate to call Jesse Gilliam, one of the founders of Day of Silence, my friend. I asked him today why it was and is important to for students to take part.  He said:

The Day of Silence proves that young people have the power to impact and improve their schools and communities.  It’s ironic, but by being silent they actually make their voices heard. With Day of Silence – which is student initiated, run and led – they change attitudes, open minds, and make schools safer for LGBT students.

And that is what the National Day of Silence is all about: ensuring that America’s youth can go to school without living in fear of harassment or violence. You can also do your part by contacting your members of Congress and asking them to co-sponsor and vote for the Safe Schools Improvement Act.