An estimated record-breaking 500,000 students at 4,000 schools, including about 100 PA students, wore yellow and black ribbons to display their pledge of silence on Wednesday for the tenth annual National Day of Silence. Their silence honors the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community (LGBT), simulating the silence of people who are unable to divulge their sexual preference. For many, breaking this silence would mean becoming a victim of harassment. Participants in the Day of Silence seek to end this intolerance. Silent students carried cards to explain the day to their friends and teachers. Dr. Paul Cernota, Advisor to Phillips Academy’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), wrote, “The effect of the day is to make students think about how difficult it is to be silent, and so that experience, and the effort required is particularly instructive.” The widespread awareness of the silence in the community demonstrated the participants’ success. Head of School Barbara Landis Chase announced the project at All-School Meeting on behalf of GSA Head Alex Wolf ‘06, who kept silent for the day. Dr. Cernota wrote, “While by no means an overtly hostile place, students here do find that they need to stay silent about their sexuality. ” He continued, “For others their silence is because someone they know (or they perceive that someone they know) would react negatively to their coming out. This is particularly difficult if they don’t feel supported by their family. I think that focusing attention on the existence of LGBT people and the difficulties many encounter because of their sexuality is a positive experience for the campus.” Day of Silence participant Nate Flagg ’07 said, “I did it last year [also]. It’s really fun. It’s interesting to commit to something for the day and have it be totally meaningful.” An announcement under Campus News on PA Net encouraged students to choose their own level of participation, allowing exceptions for oral exams, interviews, games, and other events that require speaking. The announcement asked the LGBT people on campus, “Are you willing to sacrifice for your principles?” Although the announcement made it clear that students would not necessarily be excused from class participation, some teachers were especially accommodating of students who chose to be silent. Bruce Bacon, Instructor in Theatre and Dance, addressed questions exclusively to non-participants in his class. Maria Pulzetti ’96, National Day of Silence Founder, began the project as a means to involve both homosexual and heterosexual students in the University of Virginia’s Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Awareness Days (BGLAD) Week. About 150 students participated in the first Day of Silence in 1996 and, thanks to Pulzetti’s efforts, over 100 schools became involved in 1997. Pulzetti, along with the original Co-Chair of the project, Jessie Gilliam, first publicized the event by e-mailing students involved with LGBT groups at their schools. The project became nationally recognized after the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and the United States Student Association (USSA) adopted it. According to The Washington Post, Penn Schoen & Berland Associates Inc. conducted a study for GLSEN. Results indicated that 5% of the nation’s high school students identify themselves as lesbian or gay and 16% said that they have a gay or lesbian relative.
