For one day, some students chose to remain silent, a stark contrast to the rowdy hallways of Whitman.
The Gay-Straight Alliance hosted a Day of Silence April 11 to represent those in the LGBT community who feel that they are unable to express their sexual orientation to their family and friends.
Although the National Day of Silence is April 15, the members of the Gay-Straight Alliance decided to host the event this past Monday in order to accommodate the students in the music department, who will be in Florida on the nationally recognized day.
“The event is supposed to be simulating the silence of those who can’t be themselves in their community,” said Clara McCreery, president of the Gay-Straight Alliance. “We are representing those who feel like they need to be something that they’re not and censor what they say.”
The day made several students realize the importance of speaking out and how hard it is to feel silenced.
“It’s important to let people know that if someone’s not speaking, they are holding something back,” said freshman Christina Esposito, who participated in the Day of Silence. “I want to represent the hardship that people are going though when they can’t speak out.”
GSA advisor Terry Alvey views the event not just as a way to raise awareness but also as a way to draw attention to LGBT bullying.
“The day is meant to echo the silence of victims of bullying,” Alvey said. “It’s a protest—the students are observing a day of silence because of past LGBT bullying.”
The National Day of Silence was first recognized thirteen years ago with the ultimate purpose of making schools safer for LGBT kids by bringing awareness to the community.
“Staying silent for an entire day is a lot of trouble, which is part of the reason why it’s so effective,” McCreery said. “It makes the person refusing to speak think about the rights of the entire LGBT community.”