Day of Silence supports LGBT rights

Tufts students participated in the national Day of Silence yesterday, a movement in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies remain speechless until early evening.

This year's Day of Silence has received more criticism from conservative groups than ever before, according to an article from CNN.

Student participants in the event gathered on the roof of Tisch Library to break their silence at 6:10 p.m. Those present formed a circle, squeezed hands, and were able to speak once again. Sighs of relief and laughter were heard all around.

The students proceeded to talk about their experiences and feelings about keeping silent for the day. Some students admitted to speaking due to classes or presentations, but everyone present remained silent for some portion of the day.

"It really made me think about what I wanted to say before saying anything," one student said. "I talk all the time."

Some participants spoke of negative experiences they encountered during the day. One student cited her frustration with the students who barely read the yellow cards that she passed out to them. The yellow cards that students handed out instead of speaking explained that the day's deliberate silence represented the silence caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender individuals.

But others found students to be very understanding and supportive of the event participants. Some high school students brought pins commemorating the event back to their schools after visiting Tufts.

One aspect of remaining silent that had a profound effect on many of the participants was loneliness. "My biggest problem was walking by people who would say 'hi' and not being able to reply. I felt like I was being rude the whole day," one girl said. "My friends would also say to me, 'Oh, you can't talk,' so they'd leave me by myself."

Dona Yarbrough, the Director of Tufts' LGBT Center, called her day "depressing and lonely" and said she spent most of her time catching up on her work in her office. Yarbrough also noted the lack of noise and liveliness usually present at the LGBT Center.

Other participants resorted to exaggerated gesturing and facial expressions to get their messages across. "My friends thought [being silent] was the funniest thing ever and they just tortured me, but all in good humor," one student said.

On a national scope, the event was met with both protest and support, CNN reported. Adults and parents like Steve Klein, the founder of Courageous Christians United, appeared at local middle and high schools, distributing pamphlets on the "dangers of homosexuality" and encouraging other parents to keep their children at home.

"My kids went through this a few years ago, and I couldn't believe the homosexuality and the filthy sex that they were teaching," Klein told CNN, referring to his previous experiences with the event that led him to such strong opposition.

Despite the increase in protesters, the national Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) announced a simultaneous increase in the number of participants nationwide, estimating that about 200,000 individuals would partake this year.

The Day of Silence has also gained approval from Congress, where Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) introduced a resolution to officially recognize the day. Gov. Gary Davis of California and other legislative groups are expected to follow suit.

The protesters' actions were brought up at the Tisch Library roof rally. Some students labeled the protests as "tacky" and did not understand why so many people got mad when others were simply remaining silent.

"It's important for allies to be involved in this," one girl said. "It was frustrating as to how many people I came across today who didn't believe I could do this."