by E. Ross

What are you going to do to end the silence?

Students in Alaska will join hundreds of thousands of middle and high school students across the nation in a Day of Silence to protest anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender name-calling, bullying and harassment. Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA) members and their allies in Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks will be silent on April 25, to echo the silence caused by prejudice and discrimination.

Students in Fairbanks can participate in Day of Silence, despite the efforts of anti-gay groups. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner published several pieces on the issue, including an article Controversy escalates over ‘Day of Silence’, an editorial Council reaction to Day of Silence goes overboard, and a letter to the editor from a student member of the West Valley GSA. The hundreds of comments include support and opposition to DOS.

Wayne Gerke, assistant superintendent of secondary schools at the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, said the event is not an official school activity and is not sponsored by the school district but is a way for students to express their freedom of speech. Gerke said he believes the purpose of Day of Silence is not to promote homosexuality but rather to stand against bullying. (from Controversy escalates over ‘Day of Silence’)

The Juneau Empire began a similar discussion for Day of Silence in 2006, and received 32 Responses to “What do you think of the day of silence that is held for gays and lesbians at Juneau-Douglas High School?” The next year, they published an article with photos, Harassment gets the silent treatment at high school. 

“We are missing out on all of these voices, we don’t get to hear these students’ voices, because they’re too afraid to risk harassment,” said Casady Herding, GSA advisor, on the panel of Anyone & Everyone: An Alaskan Perspective, which aired on KTOO and KAKM last week. “There’s a real need for education in the schools about GLBT issues, because of the invisibility, because of the discrimination that is still very much in place.”

Anchorage GSA’s participate in Day of Silence, and ‘break the silence’ that night with Pride Prom. Alaska Superstation posted a piece on Day of Silence and the opposition in Anchorage, Day of Silence Creates Outcry. In the article, Superintendent Carol Comeau said that the district is not promoting the “Day” and teachers will continue with their lesson plans, while taking into account that some students choose not to speak.

“What we’ve done is acknowledge the fact that some of our students want to participate in a national Day of Silence. And we’ve said that if you do it respectfully without causing a disruption we will say that’s ok,” said Comeau.

Around the country, support for Day of Silence is growing. CNN’s Larry King made a public service announcement for Day of Silence, in honor of the murdered student who shared his name: Lawrence King, a 15-year-old who was shot and killed in class for being gay. Lance Bass, the former ‘N Sync singer, made a PSA with a group of students. Azariah Southworth, host of the Christian TV show The Remix, came out as gay and supports DOS. The Day of Silence blog posted these statements, plus information about DOS and comments from students, advisors and supporters around the country.

Organizations that spread the word about Day of Silence include GLSEN, the GSA Network, Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE) and PFLAG. They are also talking about the film ‘Tru Love‘, which shows the straight daughter of lesbian parents starting a GSA group in a conservative suburban high school.

“Today we fall silent, but tomorrow, and each day after tomorrow, we must speak up,” said PFLAG executive director Jody Huckaby at the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Day of Silence Observance. “When our children are in danger, and our schools are havens of hate, we must give our own voice to those who suffer at the hands of bullies.” (from ‘Do Not Be Silent‘)