GLSEN Day of Silence

GLSEN, pronounced “Glisten”, is a national organization that spreads awareness and hosts events to help the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) population in schools. GLSEN stands for Gay, Lesbian and straight education network. Nearly 4 in 5 LGBTQ students don’t see positive LGBTQ representation in their curriculum, nearly 9 in 10 experience verbal harassment, and almost a third miss school for feeling unsafe or uncomfortable.(GLSEN.org) As I said, this event was national. It took place on Friday, April 27th. I found this out from a friend in my class the day before the event. She said she was participating, so another one of our friends and I decided to join her in the day of silence.

It was really hard and not to mention, weird not talking. But, even when it was hard, it felt so good to be doing the day of silence. I have to admit, some words did slip out, but I corrected myself and continued the silence. When people asked I what I was doing, I gave them a card that I had printed out so I didn’t have to talk. In all, it was hard, but very rewarding at the end.

How was this excepted by my community? Many people accepted my cause. My teachers were completely on board with my cause. Students supported me throughout the day. Some even asked if I was okay because they thought I was sad. This really motivated me to get through the day.

But, some didn’t except my cause. Some people advertently, and inadvertently disrespected my cause. This made me really sad. After coming home, I have to admit, I just sat in my room and cried a little bit. It really discouraged me but, I knew that I had to keep going despite the people that tried to put me down. I knew that I had to stand for this cause and it didn’t matter what the people thought that were discouraging me.

This event happens every single year. The next day of silence will be April 12th, 2019. If you would like to register yourself, friends, or your school, go to this link. Thank you for reading.

GLSEN day of silence. GLSEN.org

One thought on “GLSEN Day of Silence

  1. Ben, I am proud and honored to be the mom of such a socially conscious, empathic person. Your dedication to this cause, and your determination in the face of some adversity it brought about, is admirable. I hope you’re as proud of yourself as I am of you!

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