Tomorrow is a nationally honored holiday in America-- Day of Silence. It is a day in which anyone who supports Gay Pride remains silent for the entire day (with a sign to show this) in honor of an eigth grade boy who was "silenced" for his sexual orientation.

Is anyone here going to participate in the Day of Silence? It's really heavily broadcasted in California, but no one else seems to know about it.

Personally, I think that we shouldn't only be supporting only one group. People are persecuted every day for race, religion, appearence, etc... not just sexual orientation. I think it's unfair that one 8th grade boy's persecution can trigger a nation-wide Day of Silence, while millions of Jews were once massacred, and we don't have a Day of Silence for them.

That's why my friends and I made custom signs that stated that we were standing up for everyone who had ever been discriminated against-- not just gays. We're calling it Anti-Discrimination Day. We probably won't start our own national holiday, but hey, we're getting our middle school pretty riled up. xD Surprisingly, a lot of people are mad at us. Apparantly, because we think it's wrong to have a day only for gays, as if they're the only group that gets persecuted, we all hate gays. >____<

I have two hours to speak! =o
Anyways, what do you all think about this?

I live in Colorado and have never heard of this holiday. What do you mean by "in honor of an eigth grade boy who was 'silenced' for his sexual orientation"? do you mean killed or just told to keep quiet? Not that it's relevant I was just wondering.
I do agree with having a day for such things but I think that anti-discrimination would probably be better than singling out one group. I guess people could argue that we have black history month, and gay's have nothing, so now they have this day of silence. And I guess they could also say that the holocost didn't happen within America. I'm not saying that I agree with those statements I'm just trying to see the other side.
I do think that we should recognize those who have been discriminated against, all of them, and not just single out groups here and there. I think what you and your friends are doing is great, so keep it up. We need more people like that in the world.

Hmm, that does make a lot of sense. And the eigth grade boy was killed.

I guess it could be argued back that persecution still takes place in America, even if we don't hear about it. It could go on forever. =P

And thank you. :] You're probably one of the first people to not assume that we all hate gays and think that they're selfish.

Anna I think you truly are amazing. I'm glad to know you here. I think what you are doing is of an excellent nature. I agree that too many people have been persecuted to single out a day for just a select group. I like your idea of an Anti Discrimination Day, for all.

Thank you, that means a lot to me, though it really wasn't my idea. (: Carrick was the one who brought up the fact that other groups suffer persecution all the time. I just came up with the name, spread the word, and made the signs. ^_^

That's really sad Anna. I can't believe that so many people are murdered or beat up or even taunted because of their sexual perference, or race, or religion etc. I hate that people in our world are so against certain groups of people. I honestly I don't care if people are gay or straight, what they do with their lives is their business. I actually have a few gay friends and I love them just as much as my straight friends. I think an anti discrimation day would be great. I wish people were just more accepting. I know I argue with a lot of people, even within my own family sadly, on the matter. It's sad that our world has come so far in some ways, but not in others.

This is kind of off topic, but relating to it. I had a teacher in highschool that was absolutely amazing. He really taught us, didn't just give us busy work. Our principal actually fired him because he didn't like his teaching style, mainly didn't like that we spent 2 weeks learning about black history in america and 1 week on the holocost. We were suppose to do more on both but he was told no by the principal and school bored. They were actually mad that he was focusing on these subjects for 'too long' 1 week and 2 weeks is too long? I didn't think so. I honestly learned more in his class than any other history class. I always viewed learning about history as a way of learning from our past. Seeing where we came from, learning from mistakes we've made in hopes to not repeat them. But it seems like the schools here, at least all the ones i've been to, don't feel that way. I took a peoples history coarse my first year in college and all it was, was memorizing dates and names, rather than learning what events happen and what outcome came from them good or postive.

I think that a lack of education on certain topics (religion, sexual perference, race) lead to discrimination. I think we grow up tip toeing around the subjects instead of discussing them.

Keep spreading the word Anna, I hope it catches on.

Thank you. I really hope it catches on, too. It's sad to see people who have to worry about being harassed or even killed just because they look, behave, or think differently, and I'd love to see a world where people are more aware of this.

http://www.dayofsilence.org/
^ The official website (:

Thanks for sharing the website.

No problem.
As a side note, I don't think I've ever gone a conscious hour without speaking once, let alone a day. xD I'm quite talkative, so this is going to be a challenge for me. Must get out everything I have to say tomorrow in twenty minutes! xD

So does anyone else plan to participate in a Day of Silence, whether it's for gays or for all prejudiced groups?

An anti-discrimination day sounds like an awesome idea and I applaud your efforts.

I've never heard of Day of Silence, though, but I live all the way here in Ontario and same-sex marriage and whatnot is considered legal. While I dislike discrimination against homosexual people, I also don't think it's "fair" that one group gets a day like Day of Silence while other, less visible, groups are practically ignored.

And I, too, face people assuming I hate gay people, especially once I say I'm Catholic >_> I have several close friends and a few cousins who are gay and I love them all as much as I do the rest of my friends and family. Argh.

I agree with LadyTwilight about a lack of education leading to discrimination. Like if I was not taught about the Holocaust in school, I would never have known about it. If my friend had not told me about the Great Purge of Stalin's regime, I would not have known about it. If my dad had not told me how, during WWII, my grandparents had been forced into internment camps only because they were Japanese, I would not have known about it for many years.

I think exposure is also a good way to "educate" people. Before I had met or known anyone who was openly gay, my views on homosexuality were pretty clear-cut (essentially, I did not like the idea of homosexuality or same-sex marriage). But now that I do know many people, I have learned to see them as people and I don't define them by their sexual orientation anymore.

And living in a multi-cultural area, I have also had the great opportunity of learning about all kinds of cultures. It's really very enjoyable and I find that I can grow as a result.

In my country this tradition is unknown, so I guess it wouldn't make any sense for me to be the only one participating. And honestly I don't really care about gays' "discrimination", there are so many more important problems in the world to be concerned about, and it's not like in civilized countries they are sent to jail for their lifestyle, like it used to be in the past. I think the issue of their supposed discrimination is a little exagerrated; sure there will always be some people who will be prejudiced and dislike a person just because of their sexual orientation, but that can happen based on various other traits different from the majority, not only sexual orientation. I do not believe that homesexual behaviour is right; but I don't want people to be treated as second class citizens based just on this trait, as if solely this trait made them something worse than the rest of the population. We are all imperfect humans and no one's way of life is 100% holy, thus no one has the right to choose just one of the traits (sexual orientation) and judge a person as bad just because of the trait, while the person who is judging is not sinless either, even when their tendency to sin is of a different kind, it doesn't give them the right to judge others and consider them a worse category of people.

I do like the idea of an Anti discrimination day though, directed against discrimination against any other factors, like nationality, race, religion, ages (such discrimination also occurs, like people older than about 50 having difficulty being accepted in a job just because of their age and not qualification and skills).

@Luz
Quote:

Prejudice against gays is just some people disliking them, at least in America. I can’t speak for other countries since I’ve never been out of the US. Yeah they may not be thrown in jail for their lifestyle. But many are publicly humiliated, bullied, beaten up, raped and murdered within the nation. So with that being said I can’t see how it’s an exaggeration.

Yes there are other important problems going on in the world, but I think over discrimination is up there with the most important problems within our society as a whole. Whether it be gay discrimination or other. People are murdered simply because of their religious beliefs, lifestyle, or race. I don’t think there’s 50 year old’s getting murdered because they are not qualified for a job.

@Aterernus I’m glad you saw my point on lack of education. I agree that I would not be so open with such things if I wasn’t able to learn about them. Also I just want to say that the Japanese internment camps were horrible. As I said before our principle in high school got mad at our teacher wasting a week on the holocaust, well the Japanese internments camps were a brief blimp on the page of our history book. We really didn’t learn about them at all. It makes me sick that such things are skipped over in education. I actually know about because I’m obsessed with watching the history channel. I think the educational system needs to reevaluate their curriculum.

It's a little late, but for anyone who is interested...

http://i25.tinypic.com/15eiotu.jpg

The Anti-Discrimination Day sounds awsome! I personally will not be supporting the day of silence. My sis keeps on trying to get me to do it. here are the reasons why I am not participating in the day of silence:
1.Sis is too pushy about it.
2.Dad will be mad if I do.
3.I can't stay quiet for longer the half an hour.
4.It's the gay peoples problem, and the activists, so please leave the other people out of it unless they volenter to do it.

NOTE TO THE ANTI GAY PEOPLE: GET OVER IT!!!!!!

If those people did that, we wouldn't have the day of silence.

@anna: BTW Awsome pic

Ooh, so is that the sign you created, Anna? Looks really good!

Lady Twilight - ok, probably the reason I'm not taking the said discrimination so seriously is because I'm not aware of any of such violent behaviour going on here... Also since I don't know any gays personally I really don't know if they have some personal experience with being unaccepted or prejudiced against in any ways during their life... I can believe some issues more serious than just e.g. being insulted can occur in some other countries though...

The Anti- Discrimination Day sounds like a good idea. Good job Anna on promoting understanding in your school.

I would practice it, except I'm in school where you need to talk.

As for the 'anti discrimination' thing: I can see your point, but I also can see how others would be pissed.

Cuz it's their 'day'. They see it as something as theirs, so when you make it inclusive of everything, they think it overshadows what the whole day was originally about : Supporting gays/ lesbians/bi's in the closet.

I mean, coming out is a pretty scary thing. Your parents might disown you, people treat you weird or pick on you, parents might force you to break up with your bf/gf, you stick out for ridicule, heck you might even end up dead. And that's not even considering the legal aspects of being gay: you can't marry in most states, adoption is very difficult, keeping a child is difficult, there's condemnation from various sides such as religious nuts, etc. I mean only NOW on birth certificates do they actually say "Parent/Parent" rather than "Mother/Father".
(not exaggerating on above.)

See what I mean? If your black/white and straight: you can definitely marry and you probably won't be disowned for being black/white. How many ethnic groups are legally stopped from getting married? Chances are you can adopt a heck easier than a similar gay couple.

Also,I heard being bi is even worst since you get discrimination from straights AND gays.

It's only NOW that LGBT are getting some respect, and even that is not enough since there are still many legal barriers.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia ... ld_homosexuality_laws.png

so what do many gays/lesbians/etc. do? They stay silent and hide because it's just so much safer and advantageous to play straight.

I think an Anti-Discrimination Day would be GREAT! I belong to 3 minorities that are often discriminated against. I will be participating in the Day of Silence for the first time in my life this year. Oh, by the way I am that "pushy" sister of kstar's.
The Day of Silence is to honor a teenager who was murdered becuase of his sexual orientation. Personally, I would do a Week of Silence or a Month of Silence.
In honor of Matthew Shepard, Anne Frank, and all the others who have been hurt or killed for being different, I'll end this with a qoute from one of my favorite musicals:
"There's a dream
For the future
There's a struggle
That we have yet to win
And there's pride
In my heart
'Casue I know where I'm goin'
Yes I do
And I know where I've been."
-From I Know Where I've Been, from the musical Hairspray.

Blessed Be.

@ Ktc- Hmm, you have a valid point. I still, however, think that it's unfair to only have a day for homosexuals for a few reasons.

1. If they (gays, lesbians & bis) have experienced descrimination and all of the problems that come with it, shouldn't they be sympathetic to other groups instead of believing that their problem is somehow more significant and worth more attention?

2. While I agree with you that the legal barriers are something that gays, lesbians, and bis have to experience that most other ethnic groups don't (at least not anymore), I still don't think it's enough to get them an entire day of silence while everyone else gets zip. I suppose we could name a different day "Anti-Descrimination Day" and keep "Gay Pride Day" (aka Day of Silence), but still... while everyone else gets meshed together in one day, the LGBT get an entire Day of Silence to themselves? And it's not like we can give each group their own day. There are way too many groups. Then there's the debate on how you define a "persecuted" group. (Do you give the Christians a day because they are often mocked and sometimes harassed and even killed, or do you not give them a day because they're the majority?) Basically, I'm saying that there should be more equality. The world should be sympathetic to all causes, not just the ones that are featured in the media.

3. LGBT experience countless legal problems, but as far as I know, far more people are killed for their race, religion, etc. than for their sexual orientation. For example, the World Trade Center tragedy. Hundreds if not thousands were wiped out in that one day, only God knows exactly why, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't because they were LGBT.

4. It's not like a black person can pretend he's white and hide. His problems start at birth, not when he is ready.

5. I think the world is becoming more and more open-minded to LGBT. Sure, there will always be people who are against them, but I definitely know more people who hate anti-gays than people who hate gays. Just look around you. Talk to people. For the most part, you'll hear people promoting being open about your sexuality. The only time you hear about anti-LGBT is when it's being exposed and "slammed" (for the lack of a better word) in the media. Heck, I know a lot of straight people who hang out specifically with gays, lesbians, and bis because they think that they're cool & entertaining. On the other hand, I think we can agree that it's still fairly typical for people to have a tendancy to not associate with blacks and other minorities, whether or not they admit to having problems with those groups.

Scratch five. I live in California, where people are almost completely open-minded and accepting, so I don't know what it's like in other areas.

P.S.: School would be a problem for me too, except like I said, Day of Silence is a big deal in California, so it's not like our teachers can tell us "No, you may not support LGBT by honoring this national holiday." Well, they could, but most of them don't.

The site mentioned that some schools prefer to allow responding to teacher questions in class, but silence for the rest of the day if it is a problem.