April 16th: Day of Silence

Tomorrow is the 14th annual Day of Silence, bringing attention to bullying in schools. The article below about this effort is from High Plains Reader:
"Carl Walker-Hoover, Phoebe Prince, Lawrence King and Jaheem Herrera.


What do these four young people have in common?

All four are victims of bullying and harassment that led to their deaths. Walker-Hoover and Herrera were constantly bullied by classmates calling them “faggot,” “queer” or “homo,” although neither identified as gay. King was known to flirt with other boys and at times wore women’s jewelry. Prince was subjected to constant taunting and referred to as an “Irish whore” by classmates.

Walker-Hoover, Herrera and Prince completed suicide in their homes. King was shot twice in the back of the head while sitting in his school’s computer lab. While the deaths of these four individuals have made national headlines, I am confident that there are many more young people out there who have been harassed, bullied and killed because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation and/or gender identity. It is important to note that harassment and bullying in schools affects everyone. Any student can be a target, although students from underrepresented populations face higher rates of name-calling, harassment and bullying.

Friday, April 16 is the 14th annual Day of Silence in which hundreds of thousands of students in over 8,000 middle schools, high school, colleges and universities participate in the movement to put an end to harassment and bullying in schools. The first Day of Silence took place at the University of Virginia in 1996 and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Educators Network (GLSEN) has become the funding organization for the program in the United States. Participating students, educators and school administrators participate in the Day of Silence by not speaking throughout the day to demonstrate the silence that LGBT students experience in school. Cards are distributed by participants that read:


“Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by name-calling, bullying and harassment. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. What are you going to do to end the silence?”


At the end of the day, participants typically gather together in a public venue and break the silence by sharing their experiences and encouraging classmates, teachers and administrators to put an end to harassment and bullying in their school.


In talking with friends, high school can be tormenting for any student, regardless if you were popular, invisible, or an outcast. Personally, at times, middle and high school were hell for me because of the harassment by other boys and being called “gay.” At one point, I had my suicide note written in which I had a list of people who were not allowed to attend my funeral because of the way they treated me. That was my way of making them realize that it was their fault I had died.


Fortunately, I was able to rip up the note and didn’t end up attempting suicide. But when I think of what happened to Walker-Hoover, Prince, King, Herrera and thousands of other young people in school, the emotional pain I felt as a middle and high school student returns and paralyzes me.


We need to put an end to name-calling, harassment and bullying in our schools. Teachers and administrators need to roll model calling out students that name-call, harass or bully other students. Parents, educators, community members and policy-makers need to create and enforce comprehensive anti-bullying policies. Students need to be empowered by adults to stand up for themselves and each other by integrating factual, age-appropriate information about diversity, emotional intelligence and communication into curriculum. Schools need to be safe places for students to express themselves, connect with adult mentors and be able to participate fully in the classroom and extra-curriculars.


To learn more about the Day of Silence and how you can help end the silence, go to www.dayofsilence.org. If you or someone you care about has expressed suicide ideation, please contact The Trevor Helpline at 866.4.U.TREVOR (866.488.7386) or FirstLink’s Suicide Line at 800.273.TALK (800.273.8255). Both organizations, along with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention have great educational resources for outreach and awareness of suicide.


By Joshua A. Boschee

Staff Writer"