​Day of Silence at East

By Clairissa Moore
 
April 12th was GLSEN’s Day of Silence. This day, according to GLSEN’s website, is a “student-led national event where folks take a vow of silence to highlight the silencing and erasure of LGBTQ+ people at school.” The Day of Silence was created in 1996 by a group of students for an assignment on non-violent protests. The original DoS had 150 participants at the University of Virginia, and has since reached more than 10,000 high school and college students across the world.
 
Senior Lynnola Christman says, “I participated because I know people, family, friends, peers, who have been bullied for who they are. My uncle was called a ‘burden’ at his job and that was just not something to say.”
 
Another student, who asked to remain anonymous, explains why the Day of Silence is necessary here at East High. “The Day of Silence makes public what I and many others do every day here. I choose to remain silent out of fear when I hear slurs, insulting remarks, and micro aggressions. But those who have no reason to be in fear, such as teachers, also remain silent. I hope that the Day of Silence will bring awareness to this problem.”
 
It is my wish, too, that having a publicized Day of Silence at East will prove beneficial towards the goal of safety for all students.