Day of Silence '08

[tgn915]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:22pm

As I'm sure most of you know, today is the Day of Silence for the LGBT/Straight Alliance community.

Is anyone participating? Any thoughts?

Remember, silence is deafening.


for more information:
www.dayofsilence.org

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:23pm

I wish we had school this week. Somehow, I'm not thinking that a day of silence at home would make the same kind of impact that it would at school.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:28pm

This tends to be quite controversial around here.

Thoughts from last year's DOS

Updated On: 4/25/08 at 12:28 PM

[CJR]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:29pm

In school I used to participate in day of silence. In the years since I've had that crazy thing called a job in corporate america, I have been unable to. It's hard to try to deal with clients and not be able to speak.

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:29pm

Here too, Taz. My aunt sent my dad an e-mail about boycotting it, and on my behalf, he sent her a scathing reply about her lack of tolerance and seeming homophobia. I was very proud of him.

[tazber]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:31pm

It's also controversial within the gay community DGG. The last thing I think we should is shut up about homophobia. Even for a day.

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:35pm

Yeah, I understand that.

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:37pm

Truthfully, I've never even heard of it, except here at BWW. So, what's not talking meant to accomplish? I'm not getting it, at all.

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:43pm

I think the fundies have been unfortunately successful co-opting it into their so-called "Day of Truth." So they're talking, and we're not.

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 1:05pm

Fun times in the suburbs of Seattle:

the Rev. Ken Hutcherson, an outspoken anti-gay-rights pastor, called for 1,000 "prayer warriors" to peacefully march outside the high school.

Interesting article about the Snoqualmie Valley area and how they're dealing with this today:
Ex-student returns to Mount Si ...

[george95]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 1:19pm

Yeah I understand what they're trying to do with a day of silence but I just can't see anybody going "wow all this silence has really made me start to think about the plight of gay people."

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 1:35pm

I don't understand it. And, I can assure you that in this suburban community outside of Washington, D.C., (where I serve on multiple county boards and councils)no one is talking about any "plight" of gay people. So, if there is a "plight", being quiet isn't the way to make it known.

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 1:37pm

Hutcherson....isn't he the one who asked his followers to buy up shares of Microsoft and give them to him so he could influence the board to remove all pro-LGBT policies?

He's a disgusting slime.

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 5:53pm

I think the day of silence is a ridiculous and stupid idea. To quote someone from another board:

The best way to "end the silence" is to be a voice. I don't see what perpetuating the silence accomplishes.

[AbbaRabbit]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 6:03pm

we did it at school on wednesday since hardly anyone was at school today.
we had tshirts to give out and lots of information to give out to everyone.

i think we acomplished something, even if it was only within the CCSU community.

[SpellingBeeFan4Ever]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 7:12pm

I was planning on it, and realized how hard it is when you sing all day on a swing chroir field trip. My friend said "I am already gay so I don't need to protest" But he tried and he failed. So did my friend Crissy and Jess. My friend Nick talked to me on the phone and before first hour then he wrote down "I am not talking because of The Day Of Silence" I thought it was wierd that he was talking and whatnot then decided " I won't talk" But whatever. Even though he is Bi (So I hear) he said "I think it should stop but I can't not talk for a day" Yes, I am very involved with theatre people at school.

[Prisoner 24601]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 10:04am

If the purpose of day of silence is to make the community aware of a homophobia problem, then it doesn't make a lot of sense. If there were a tangible sense of homophobia in the community, awareness wouldn't be the main issue, only prevention.

Day of Silence seems to mean that the people who either are homophobic, or stand by watching others being homophobic, are finally shown what their actions do to members of the gay community. Wearing the shirt and remaining silent shows them, "We can hear you. And it hurts." Unfortunately, the message gets lost because the response sometimes is, "What homophobia problem?" Like JohnBoy said, the reason this is, is that there is no "plight," really. At least at my school, the larger response to the day seemed to be indifference, no one ever thought there was a homophobia issue or at least kept their opinions to themselves.

We're considerably more comfortable talking about sexuality than before, I think, but in many communities there's quite a way to go. Being afraid to come to terms with your sexuality is an issue on the personal level as much as it is an issue when there's a violent consequence of doing so. Being uncertain about your sexuality can cause just as much inner turmoil as "what will my friends think?" If there were a day to encourage not only the prevention of prejudice against those who have a different sexuality, but also openness on the personal and community level to one's own sexuality, it might prove more effective.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 12:35pm

I am with those that don't understand the whole day of silence thing. What is it going to accomplish by being silent about such an important issue? I just don't see the logic.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 1:03pm

They need to change it to "Hey, I'm GAY! Day"

Instead of being silent, we should have a day where we tell EVERY PERSON we meet. ALL of them.

If everyone did that, then people would begin to realize that there are gays EVERYWHERE and it might even be a person they never thought was gay.


Didn't we have a saying a few years back that 'Silence = Death'?


Be LOUD AND PROUD.

[jondouglas]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 11:55pm

Unfortunately your LOUD & PROUD is the stereotyped big nellie queen that makes the news whenever there's a protest or anything like that.


Updated On: 4/27/08 at 11:55 PM

[roquat]

Posted: 4/28/08 at 12:01am

Yeah, and years of screaming don't seem to have gotten us that far. I'm not really sure what "LOUD AND PROUD" means, anyway. Announcing your sexuality to strangers? It's none of their business.

[jondouglas]

Posted: 4/28/08 at 12:05am

You hit the nail on the head! There are some people who just have to throw their sexuality in everyone's face and that's just wrong..

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 4/28/08 at 1:07am

That is NOT what I mean.

Just live your life without hiding. That doesn't mean getting in drag and riding a float down the street (unless that's your thing) but just be real, and honest about who you are, if some one asks.

You don't have to have a t-shirt that says "BIG FAG" on it, because most people know that about you anyway.

[george95]

Posted: 4/28/08 at 1:35am

So, is it

" Instead of being silent, we should have a day where we tell EVERY PERSON we meet. ALL of them. "

or is it

"but just be real, and honest about who you are, if some one asks. "

?? just curious. : )