Students Support Day of Silence

Students Support Day of Silence

By Zoha Qader '17

Last week the Alliance club hosted their own Day of Silence for the Notre Dame community to participate in. Students wore all black and didn't speak throughout the school day to stand in solidarity with members of the LGBTQ+ who are discriminated against and harassed.

Day of Silence has been an annual event for over 25 years. Hundreds of thousands of students participate to bring attention to the bullying and harassment of LGBTQ+ students. All students are encouraged to participate, regardless of belief, background, sexual orientation or gender identity. This day fosters the discussion of anti-LGBTQ+ bullying, harassment, and name-calling policies that can be implemented by schools.

Day of Silence was started by GLSEN, a small group of teachers in Massachusetts who wanted to change the frequent discrimination of LGBTQ+ students. To this day, 8 out of every 10 LGBTQ+ youth are harassed in school because of their sexual or gender identity. The group continues to work towards making sure that all students, regardless of their identity, feel safe in their school environment. Along with this nationwide event, GLSEN develops resources for teachers regarding LGBTQ+ issues in education and empowers students to make a change in their schools.

The annual Day of Silence takes place on April 21st this year. Due to Spring Break, Notre Dame students will not be able to take part in that as a community, but are welcome to participate as individuals. Alliance club officers decided to host the ND community event, so LGBTQ+ students would see just how much support they have within their school. Keahi Scott ‘18, Alliance club president, said, “By participating in the Day of Silence, ND students help raise awareness about those in the LGBTQ+ community who have been silenced by discrimination and oppression.”

As a social justice oriented school, it is important for Notre Dame take part in events such as these. For LGBTQ+ students who are going through hard times, it can feel comforting knowing there are people who understand their struggle and are willing to support them.