I wanted to share an activity to do for your Breaking the Silence (BTS) event. Last year I went to GLSEN Kansas City's BTS event.There were a number of activities involved, but one of the most exciting and fascinating of them was the "rush hour rally". I'm not sure if this is what they officially call it, but that is in effect what it was.
A group of about 50 students, chapter leaders, parents, and GSA advisers gathered at a public fountain near a busy intersection. They were decked out in Day of Silence t-shirts and rainbow paraphernalia. They had noisemakers and posters that said "Honk if you support safe schools!", "Support the Day of Silence!", "Equality is a right!" and other catchy slogans. They lined the sidewalk and encouraged rush hour motorists to honk in support of the Day of Silence.
The air was filled with excitement and camaraderie and every time someone unbeknown to the Day of Silence would honk there would be an overwhelming uproar. They did an amazing job of raising awareness about the DOS to the Kansas city community. It was phenomenal.
Here are a few ideas to incorporate for your Breaking the Silence event:
1. Have a silent countdown
2. Have all event attendees write their comments on a huge banner
3. Have some of the DOS participants speak out about their experiences of being silent all day, and about their experiences of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment
4. Invite local performers, singers, musicians, poets, theater troupes, etc.
5. Have food! Have music! Have fun!
24 comments:
I am so excited about participating this year. i havent had the chance to the past couple years because i was uninformed about when it was. I am hoping that more than just the 19 of us are participating here at school. Friday here we come.
I believe in the inerant Word of God & this day of silence needs to be stopped! It says in His Word that it is an abomination unto the Lord our God! I will not keep silent for the very rocks will cry out if I don't! Read the Bible(KJV the only real version to read) Please without delay or you will be left behind! Praise the Lord Jesus for His wonderful work!
Anonymous, I'm pretty sure God hasn't done anything to smite homosexuals and sexual deviants since the days of Abraham. He's either old and tired or holds true to the teachings of Jesus: love one another. Jesus did not make exceptions in his love of his neighbours.
Also, I'd like to mention that neither the New Catholic Edition nor the King James are the "real" versions. The real versions are the ones untampered with in their original languages, greek and possibly hebrew, it's been a few years since my last mandatory religion class. Things have been edited. A hand of man had to write the words. The word of god had to be filtered through his vocabulary.
And finally, from your argument can I conclude that you are advocating the suicides and silence and fear of all those GLBT people who still have to hide part of who they are? It's what it sounds like. And it's sad. I am bisexual. One of my best friends is also bisexual. Another is a lesbian. All I want for them is to be happy and to live a life without fear of hate crimes. I want others to do the same.
If you're not with us, you're against us, and you are against people being human and not machines who are identical and work in exactly the same way all across the board. And truly, that makes me cry more than your rocks ever could.
I'm participating in my college's Day of Silence march around the city tomorrow, and I'm going to be a proud supporter of equality and peace among everyone. I hope you'll see the light, Anonymous.
This may be only my second year participating in the DOS, but I fully support it!! People have the right to be with who they want to be with. I myself am bi. Two of my friends are bi and another is gay. People should be able to be who they are.
Yellow Springs High is embrassing this event to the extream mostly the whole damn school is doing it and it is a very very good cause because not only does our town but our very own school holds many LGBT students as most schools do. We are all breaking the silence outside our school so anyone who participates is welcome to join us :D
I was so glad be involved in the day of silence last year, and was very much so looking forward for this year. But sadly a school event is going to be occurring that day so our silence at school will go unheard this year... Well i hope next year is better!
I just want to say to the Anonymous person who said that gay people are "an abomination unto the Lord our God" a few things. I am straight ally and a devot Episcopalian and i do not belive for a second that God looks down upon gays or any other group of people for that matter. Akthough I plan on keeping the silence I will speak up when someone says such ignorant and hateful things.
God loves us all, we're equal and beautifully one in our diversity. I'm excited and incredibly happy to see hearts coming together in unity and respect. We're all so beautiful, so greatly purposed, an amazing and essential part of each other. Living the love, increasing the peace, I will definately be participating. Love, peace, power to the people :]
I can't wait to participate this year :)
I'm actually doing it this Thursday beacuse it didn't work out this Friday; either way I feel our silence will be heard.
I'm excited to show my beliefs.
I've participated in the Day Of Silence all three years I've known about it and I think its amazing... people need to accept others, not hate them. "People Are People" - Depache Mode.
Also, for you who think that it goes against the word of God... I have highly religious friends who don't slam others for participating. If you don't agree, fine... but keep your opinions to yourself.
Isn't God's Word to love thyself and thy neighbor and NOT to judge?
Maybe GOD is homosexual.
Omfg.
STOP BRINGING RELIGION INTO THIS CRAP. That's ENOUGH.
I'm supposed to be Catholic, but I don't entirely agree with it and its rules. I realize that religion causes you to be closed up to new ideas. You can't be your own person. It's always, "God says this. God said that."
It's good to be faithful, but it's also good to have your own ideas and opinions. Don't be so controlled by your religion....
I was at one time religous but ovr time saw errors in it. The bible was made by humans, and even if it is "wrong" or a sin to be homosexual so what? killing is a sin, lying is also a sin. God forgives people. humans error. Im for DOS and will be doing it this year, because i think people shouldnt bully, at all, like others have said, people are people.
Just because you believe in god doesn't mean you can't support people for who they are.
We actually have a pep rally at my school that day, so at the beginning some of the officers of our GSA club are going to the mic. All of those who participated in the DOS will stand up, there will be a silent countdown, and then we all scream, letting out all our frustrations from the day and showing people just how many people care, and how loud our voices can be. Then we have an after party after the pep rally. =]
Also, about God not approving. MAN wrote the Bible. Yes, it is God's word, but things didn't go in word by word what he said. With translation changes and thousands of years, it's imperfect. How do we know that marriage is between a man and woman? Maybe God said marriage was between two who loved one another, and the person who wrote that down just paraphrased, as they believed only a man and woman could love one another. God is perfect - man is not. And in the end, the Bible is God's word, but written by man's imperfect hands.
I have to say[I know it's not connected but I just have to say it]
I'm from Israel, and I bring it to the contry :]
But, not anyone knows about that day. My friend know and that, but I want every one to know
So, my question is how to bring people to know about that day?
Thanx for the answer!:D
The Bible also says that you must not boil a kid in its mother's milk, which is often interpreted in the laws of kosher to mean that you can't mix meat and dairy products. So, all you cheeseburger or meat-lovers pizza eaters out there, beware! And I've got bad news for the seafood lovers among us. Shellfish is an abomination in the sight of the LORD. Oops. So, if you're a devout, kosher-following Jew, I salute you. If you're a Christian who's trying to use the Hebrew scriptures to justify your hate, God is not happy with you. By the way, I'm a Christian and a seminary student. Go read ALL of the Bible and then try to convince us that it offers a unified message on...anything. Perhaps you should consider the possibility that God is still speaking to us in new and creative ways every day, and that God's love for people is not controlled by the hatred people express toward each other.
On Friday, about fourty of the students will be taking the vow of silence at Greeley West high School in Greeley Colorado.
not to difference in m country. in my country, day of silence we call the calm week.
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This is my second year doing the DofS. I live in the South, Alabama actually, but there is ALOT of people who support the cause and who, along with my school's GSA, have put tape over their mouths to support the silence. I am the president of the GSA, and I know how difficult it is to advocate GLBT rights, when you are heterosexual. I have been called a queer, fag, and lesbian so many times today..And it is only 2nd period!!
Let's remember that this Day of Silence has nothing to do with a persons sexual preference rather it is to raise awareness and to stop the bullying, name calling and harrassment. There are those who are ignorant and will hide behind what they think the Bible is saying and those who will become educated. I'm glad and proud my Jr. High and High school daughters chose to get educated.
Today is my first day doing the day of silence. it has been amazing!! i had a full schedule of classes, along with work today, and wondered what the reaction of my fellow students, or colleagues would be. surprisingly most supported me. a few read my card, expressed a dislike for what i was doing, but i have not let that bother me. i am glad to be apart of the DOS, and i hope that it has some effect on people who are otherwise close-minded, not supportive of lgbtq people.
Hmm... I was right, some one would make a god comment, though pass that. That is a wonderful idea, lets see at my school for DOS, one of the teachers MR. Fab. as i like calling him, was giving us passes, you would have to were them to get credit in classes for not talking, had mine on all day, with it's bell. It is really hard to not talk, as people either bug you so much, like 'Talk, Talk, Talk,' like over and over, or they say something like, 'The silence is so gay,' and all i want to do is yell, 'That's the POINT!!!' it is so annoying. Though congrats to every one that was able to make it all day. I have the pass right by me, i had to take it off, to change and stuff, but ya, and P.E. DOS is a wonderful thing, and really is a great silent protest for the anti-LGBT people, listen to are silent words, here are silent calls, wonder what we would say, if only we could be heard.
I was taught that god loved ALL his children and to love thy neighbour.
Regardless of one's personal opinions of others political or religious beliefs I find it astonishing that any person who claims to be christian supports hatemongering and bullying.
It is events like this that bring awareness and a dialogue to confront it.
All the best from Corrine in Yellow Springs
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