“Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting 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 harassment, prejudice, and discrimination. 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?”
"Making matters more complex are the several lawsuits filed against schools where students have been prevented from wearing anti-gay T-Shirts during the mid-April controversy. In Southern California three years ago, Tyler Harper was banished to a Poway High School office when he refused to take off a homemade shirt quoting anti-gay scripture. Last year, a Chicago area girl was told to take off a shirt reading “Be Happy, Not Gay,” and a school counselor took a magic marker to the “not gay” clause, leaving Heidi Zamecnik’s parents and lawyers not happy indeed."
"On the contrary, the Day of Silence followed by the Day of Truth places the upbeat passion and power of GLBT student allies in stark contrast to the lame and inherently mean-spirited expressions that come limping out the next day. The comparison provides a welcome showcase for the future of the gay rights movement."
("lame and inherently mean-spirited" sounds like some one I might of met.... Oh! Amy and Brian maybe)
Read the full article.
Ann Rostow
San Francisco Bay Times
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