On Friday, April 12th students across the nation are invited to participate in a “Day of Silence,” a student-led national movement organized by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

The annual Day of Silence highlights the erasure and silencing of LGBTQ+ people and their straight allies at school.

Erasure is the removal of writing, recorded material, or data of a specific group or event, wiping out all traces of its subject. In this case, famous  LGBTQ+ members in history who have had a major impact on history, both past and recent.

The event began in 1996 at the University of Virginia in response to a class assignment on non-violent protests, with over 150 students participating.

In 1997, organizers took their effort national and nearly 100 colleges and universities participated. In 2001, GLSEN became the official organizational sponsor for the national Day of Silence.

Since then the Day of Silence has reached high school and college students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as those as far away as New Zealand, Singapore, and Russia. More than 10,000 students register their Day of Silence participation with GLSEN every year.

According to the Day of Silence website, nearly four in five LGBTQ students don’t see positive representation in their curriculum, nearly eight in 10 experience verbal harassment, and almost a third miss school for feeling unsafe or uncomfortable.

GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people. Through research, community-led local chapters, and a network of educators, GLSEN works to ensure that LGBTQ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment.

Censoring and harassment of the members of the LGBTQ+ community is nothing less than an educational form of discrimination. This isn’t a location-specific issue, it is happening all across the nation, and it is time for it to come to an end.

The Day of Silence is not just for members of the LGBTQ community.  It is for any student who believes that discrimination against LGBTQ+ people is wrong and that LGBTQ+ history has had an impact on the world.

According to the GLSEN website, students should know that they have a legal right to participate in Day of Silence and other expressions of opinion at a public school during non-instructional time: the breaks between classes, before, and after the school day, lunchtime, and any other free times during the day. However, students do not have a right to remain silent during class if a teacher asks them to speak.

Students don’t have to register to be involved, but those who would like to can click here. Those who are considering participating in the Day of Silence can also click HERE for tips on how to get through the day without speaking.