Anti-Bullying Video on YouTube Makes Big Impact

2008-06-26T17:00:00.003-04:00

After experiencing constant harassment and even assault at his West Islip middle school, Patrick Kohlmann, 13, made a video presentation to help parents and teachers understand the impact of bullying. When he was told it was too “graphic” to show the PTA, Patrick took his message to YouTube, where the it has now received over 95,000 views and nation-wide media coverage. Check out Patrick’s inspirational project below.

Show Your Support for Endangered South Carolina GSA

2008-06-20T13:10:00.003-04:00

More than 250 members have joined the Irmo High School GSA Facebook group. But the newly formed South Carolina club may not be able to function by the time school starts again in the fall.

When the club began this spring, Principal Eddie Walker announced that he would resign at the end of the 2008-2009 school year because his religious beliefs conflicted with its formation. While the school is prevented from discriminating against the GSA because of the 1984 Equal Access Act, the school district is now trying to impose stricter regulations on all activities that are not directly connected to academic subjects.

If the policies pass, students would have to get permission from their parents or guardians to join and they wouldn’t be allowed to put up posters, have a group picture in the yearbook, or raise money on school grounds, among other things.

The school board is going to further consider adopting these new rules on Monday, June 23^rd. To let them know your thoughts, check out this post from the ACLU and send board members an email.

Read more about Walker’s resignation and the resulting controversy here.

Read GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings’ response to Walker’s comments here.

Read an essay by an alum of Irmo about its history of intolerance here.

Silence is Golden: A GSA Success Story From New Jersey!

2008-06-16T10:44:00.013-04:00

Debbie G. Sent us this story for the blog:

Our GSA had an awesome DOS. We didn't just remain silent, club members decided to make t-shirts so that people would know why they were remaining silent. We came up with the slogan, “Silence Isn't Golden.” About 50 t-shirts were made (this was done in the library at lunch time when we are very crowded, with anywhere from 150-200 students, so lots of people saw us working and wanted to know more about the DOS). Then we figured we needed to do something for people who wanted to show support but couldn't stay silent all day for whatever reason. We borrowed an idea from another school and made rainbow ribbons. We made about 500 of these. We put a ribbon in each staff member’s mail slot. I sent an email earlier explaining what the day was about and I also told staff members that if they didn't want a ribbon they could leave it in a box that would be placed in the office for that purpose.

The DOS didn't start off well. A staff member came to me in the library to talk to me about "library issues." Well he had several but the main issue was he couldn’t believe that I would be “involved in something as disruptive as the Day of Silence[his words]!” I was sure this was a portent of the future. Sure enough, the next day when I arrived at school I looked in the ribbon return box and it was full. I was disappointed. But after about a half hour, something started to happen. Students started coming to the library looking for the ribbons. Students wanted to know how you got a t-shirt, and what you needed to join in! Teachers started to email and phone me asking for ribbons for their classes. One teacher called me to her room to show how she was using the ribbons as a teaching tool. She spent almost her entire class talking about what the day meant (and she is a math teacher!).

But the most gratifying moment came when a teacher I didn't think would be supportive walked into the library proudly wearing a ribbon. I was so sure he wouldn't I told Erica, the president and founder of our GSA, not to put one in his box. Erica refused and said that everyone had to get a ribbon- that they needed to make the choice to return the ribbon, we couldn't make it easy for them not to participate! When I told this teacher that I was surprised he was wearing the ribbon he asked me why I felt that way. I stammered that I thought he was very conservative. He then asked me why being conservative meant that you wouldn't support human rights. He went on to say the Day of Silence was about human rights and that he was for the rights of all humans! A learning lesson for me! Another teacher that I didn't think would be supportive stopped by to give me two poems he wrote to honor the day!

By lunch time every one of our ribbons was gone.
We could have distributed at least 100 more! I got so many complimentary emails from staff and the students were so grateful. I think there were many students who felt that this showed that they are safer in our schools because they have many, many allies! We also found out that every single administrator wore a ribbon!

Do you have a Day of Silence story you’d like to share? Email commintern@glsen.org

Save the Date: April 17, 2009!

2008-05-06T11:39:00.003-04:00

Students have been asking when next year's Day of Silence will be held. We're happy to announce it will be Friday, April 17, 2009.

In deciding on a date we search the vacation and testing schedules of the top 20 largest school districts. We then search national and religious holidays and look at all the results together to find a date that works well for everyone. From this process we determined that April 17th would be best for most students in 2009.

So put it in your personal calendars and get it onto your school's schedule too. Remember, it's less than a year until the next Day of Silence!

Military base GSA: The name will never change

2008-04-28T23:11:00.004-04:00

Stars and Stripes published a wonderful piece about the new Gay-Straight Alliance at a military base in Japan. The military, as you might expect, is typically socially conservative. So the GSA's formation was not welcomed by everyone. And yet, as the advisor put it, “I don’t think another school club has done so much in such a short time.”

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54392

Most recently, GSA spearheaded Edgren’s participation in Friday’s “National Day of Silence,” a movement started at the University of Virginia in 1996 to prevent bullying in schools. This year the event was dedicated to Lawrence King, a California middle school student who was shot and killed in February, allegedly because he was gay.

At Edgren the event drew participation beyond the GSA circle, with about 30 students wearing T-shirts and toting white boards or pen and pad to communicate in classrooms and hallways.

“Ethnic, religious, sexual differences is no reason to single someone out and treat them differently,” Heather Steele, a senior and National Honors Society member, jotted in a notebook.
...
Senior Norah Sweeney, a GSA member, said the idea was floated to change the name to “tolerance club,” but then “we’d kind of be hiding behind the name.”

“The name will never change,” says Kuntz. “There’s no reason to change this name. We’re very proud of who we are.”

You Still Can Register

2008-04-25T20:14:00.003-04:00

Just because the Day of Silence is coming to an end for most students doesn't mean you still can't register, even after the fact. If you haven't registered, please do so here.

We use registrations to get a gauge for how much participation there was across the country. Students from a record 7,500 schools have now registered. And if someone from your school already has registered, we still like to keep track of all participation.

Thanks again for your courage today. Together, we are changing the world for the better and making schools safer for everyone.

Thank You for Being a Friend

2008-04-25T17:54:00.004-04:00

Be our friend/fan/member/etc at any of the various social networking sites:

Facebook
Official Day of Silence page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Day-of-Silence/10621862898
Remembering Lawrence King group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8088192263
MySpace
Official Day of Silence page: http://www.myspace.com/dayofsilence
Remembering Lawrence King page: http://www.myspace.com/rememberinglawrence

Think.MTV.com
http://think.mtv.com/GLSEN/

We were met with disheartening actions...

2008-04-25T17:36:00.004-04:00

Not all the news is positive, but students remain strong:

MINNESOTA: Hello. My Name is J.A. [name edited] and I attend [school district name].

I learned of the Day of Silence from my best friend T. earlier this week. I wanted to take part in it greatly, and we soon got other kids to join: We were all devoted supporters of the LGBT and wanted to show support by committing to stay silent the whole day.

This Morning, we did Makeup, painted Rainbows and such on our arms and clothes and went to school. We hung signs up on our lockers to spread the word. However, most of these actions were met with sour remarks, and sometimes, Violence. The signs on our lockers were torn off and shredded on the ground before them: We were being harassed by many, sometimes, Even some of our best friends.

We were met with statements such as "Oh my god...I see Faggots." or "Why do you support the Fags." and sometimes worse. One of my best friends was told "Just be like your father and kill yourself; then you can be silent forever." We spent the whole bus ride home comforting her. I am sickened that people in our school used our beliefs as an excuse to make fun of us. I honestly hope that It wont take them long to realize that what they did, is exactly what we are standing against.

We were Harassed, and we were silent. We were met with disheartening actions, but we remained silent. I am proud that I have taken part in this protest, and im positive that all 18 of my other friends were too.

Pam's Steaming for the DOS

2008-04-25T16:53:00.003-04:00

Pam's House Blend has made the DOS blog her "pick of the week". Yay! And of course, she's covering the anti-Day of Silence protest that happened this morning out in Washington State.

Hey Pam, thanks for the links. Here's one back at ya'!
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/

Pink is the new....Silence!

2008-04-25T16:26:00.006-04:00

Gay blogger, Pink is the New Blog, has stepped up to add their silence to the Day of Silence. They have been observing a blogging silence all day long. They've posted a DOS Speaking Card and a note that they will resume blogging at 3:00pm (We assume that's Pacific Time.)

We are all amazed at the nationwide (and beyond!) support friends and allies have been demonstrating all day and all week. Thank you so much for your energy. Together we can make 2008 the most bullying-free year on record.
http://www.pinkisthenewblog.com/

DOS Report from Participants #2

2008-04-25T15:46:00.003-04:00

From the GSA Talk Listserve:

I am a student at [school name] High School in [city] Wisconsin. Just a freshman trying to get through my first year of high school, which is really hard when you show you support gay pride everyday. There was no school today, so instead of my school doing it today on the specified day, we did it on Wed., our last day of school for this week. Multiple students and I are participating today as well. There were no stickers or shirts or anything like that. It was just the speaking cards that our library had let us copy in school and the message written on our hands.

We were silent the whole day, and at some point our vice principal told us we weren't allowed to because we are a protestant school and don't believe in homosexuality. But we didn't stop. All of us kept on going throughout the whole day. We showed the cards to our teachers, handed them out at school. The response was amazing. There are about 750 Kids in our school. All of us together got at least 150 to take part, mostly freshmen and sophomores. The teachers were very understanding, and proud that we were sticking up for something that we believed in. One of my close friends, who just got outed that he was bisexual, Wore as many gay pride items that he could. I made necklaces for my group, we got rainbow ribbon and wore it all day. The respose in our little protestant school where they teach that being a homosexual is wrong was amazing. There were a lot of people that thought we were crazy, but we kept on going.

I got one of the most anti homosexual kids in my school to take part after explaining this all. In turn that got many more to help out. At the end of the day, everyone was smiling, communicating between notebooks if it was vital and everything else. I have never been more proud of my school. Everyone who had participated had found something rainbow to wear, or had asked someone to draw a rainbow on them. There were a lot of tears to share that day. I had a piece of paper on my shirt that had a list of all of the people my group knew that had die of hate crimes, and everyone felt it. One of which was one of my best friends that died not to long before this for being openly gay. It was an amazing day, and everyone understood.

Thank you for uniting a school.
Thank you for helping people understand.
I am now the freshman who made a difference.

L.M.

DOS Report from Participants #1

2008-04-25T14:22:00.004-04:00

The following quotes are excerpts from the AdvisorTalk Listserve:

NEW JERSEY:
Hi All, Here at [school name, city], the reply to our Day of Silence just floored me. Such a positive reaction. We have about 2700 students, and I gave out over a thousand stickers...and the teachers...wow!...so many teachers supported us by wearing "Vocal Supporter" stickers. The silence was deafening throughout school. I made an announcement yesterday and today, and will close with one today. I feel like a proud father, and the kids are walking around so proudly as well! ...and we will also have a 'break the silence' snack at the end of school before the go home! Hope it went as well across the country as it did here. Our administration couldn't have been better.

Jim C.

NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA
Greetings Allies: At my school in rural New Brunswick, Canada, we had about 50 kids take part in a silent march through the school. 30 of them we silent for the whole day. We had a screen set up in the cafeteria area and ran power point clips of Lawrence King all lunch hour, especially the one with the R.E.M. track. Powerful.

One student, who has just come out, stood with a poster near our display. Such courage. As I watched him, I noticed a tear roll down his face. I went over and said, "Joy? Relief? " Then a number of kids came up and hugged him and we had a group cry. So, so affirming.

Thanks for holding this event. Things like this touch lives.
Richard B.

Thank you Perez Hilton!

2008-04-25T13:19:00.006-04:00

We want to welcome all of you streaming in from celebrity blogger Perez Hilton's site. And we want to thank Perez for giving support to the Day of Silence and helping to honor the memory of Lawrence King: A Worthwhile Cause

And it's totally awesome that Perez has his own copies of our Larry (CNN) King PSA posted on his blog. They are really cranking up the page views. Woo Hoo!!

T.R. Knight Attends Breaking the Silence Event in LA

2008-04-25T08:38:00.006-04:00

Grey's Anatomy star T.R. Knight showed his support for Day of Silence participants at the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex in Los Angeles yesterday.

Students at the school held their Day of Silence on Thursday because of a conflict today. T.R. joined GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings at the event.

Message of Support from Lance Bass

2008-04-25T07:35:00.003-04:00

Lance Bass has again pledged his support for Day of Silence participants, this time on his MySpace blog:

GLSEN’s Day of Silence - April 25th - Please Read

Dear Day of Silence participants,

I am thinking of you all today as you remain silent to bring attention to anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. This year's Day of Silence is especially important as we remember Lawrence King, who was tragically killed just a short time ago.

The work each and every one of you is doing is so important to ensuring safe schools for all students. I am very proud to have played a part in this year's Day of Silence and to join you and the hundreds of thousands of students across America for this important action and dedication. Together, we can put an end to the silence!

On behalf of GLSEN, I thank you for your participation.

Thanks!!!

Lance

Student's Experience with Day of Silence Held Thursday

2008-04-24T22:33:00.002-04:00

My name is anonymous. I go to [Removed] High School and I ran a huge motion at my school today. I and the rest of the student body enjoyed a nice day at our annual performing arts festival. Here's what happened at the festival, my G.S.A club and I put our heads together and got a table at the festival just for Day Of Silence. We had over half the student body walk up to our "Booth" and say "Where do I sign my name?" and "Sign me up!" We had packets of information and we had about fifty copies to start with, but we had to make more copies through out the day. We had four books of GLSEN's speaking cards and we had to print off more from the website. Everyone wanted to take action and I had friends of mine say that they are being as silent as they can just for me! They have seen and heard my G.S.A and I talk about our haters and wish they could stop it immediately. The student body has stated that we are doing this for a good cause and will do whatever it takes to stop LBGTQ hate crimes.

7,000!!!

2008-04-24T21:59:00.004-04:00

Students from 7,000 middle and high schools have now registered.

There's still time to take part. Take CNN's Larry King's word for it.

Or Lance Bass'.

Sign up and be counted: http://dayofsilence.org/content/getinvolved.html

Why the Day of Silence exists

2008-04-24T15:34:00.005-04:00

The following is an unedited transcript of a series of phone messages we received in the days following Lawrence King's murder. It tells you all you need to know about what students endure every day and why we need the Day of Silence. This will be very disturbing for some, so we advise caution in reading on.

Message 1

I just want to say that I think what you are doing is pretty disgusting, trying to push your perversions on straight kids that are in schools and stuff. You’ve got no business being in schools, OK. We don’t need your kind of crap.

Message 2

Stop trying to spread your filthy perversions on innocent children. Those are not your children. They are other people’s children. They don’t have to accept your perverted nastiness. I mean, come on. When are you guys going to get a clue? You do perverted sex acts on each other. And that’s the kind of crap that you want to push on innocent little children? God is going to punish you.

Message 3

Yeah, and also by the way, that 15-year-old Lawrence King pretty much got what he deserved, really, because he was allowed to walk around school wearing makeup and women’s jewelry and acting and trying to push it. What’s up with that? Why doesn’t anybody say anything about that? That kind of nonsense doesn’t even belong in school. Boys should act like boys and dress like boys, and girls should dress like girls. And that’s the end of it. If he didn’t want to draw any unneeded attention aside from acting gay, then, maybe that wouldn’t have happened. There’s something for you to think about. And of course you guys will never see that. You just see what you want to see. You want to act out your perversions and have everyone accept it and force it down everyone’s throat. You’ve got no right going into the public schools. It’s one thing to defend someone who’s wrongfully abused in a situation, but that’s the family’s responsibility. It certainly isn’t yours to bring into the public schools and force your filth on innocent girls and boys.

The Greater Picture

2008-04-24T12:02:00.005-04:00

For the queer community, Lawrence King's murder is still very much a current topic. Vigils were recently held all over the country and his face can be seen everywhere in the gay media. Ellen DeGeneres even helped bring the news of his death to the mainstream media.

As tragic as his murder is, it has been good for the queer community to have a face to put with our cause. Almost exactly 10 years after Matthew Shepard's murder, we can easily argue that there is still so much work to be done.

The Advocate recently published an article about Lawrence King's murder and asked the question, "Who's to blame?" The article went on to suggest that the blame lies with those who urged Lawrence King to be himself, thereby putting him in danger of homophobic class mates. I strongly suggest you check out that article, as well as a response letter from various LGBT organizations condemning the article and its implications.

GLSEN has done a really good job in bringing attention to his murder and this year Day of Silence is being done in Lawrence King's memory. While I truly believe that this will greatly benefit the exposure Day of Silence's cause will get, we should not lost sight of the greater picture.

Tomorrow, students will be carrying around cards that state, "I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination." This should stand as a reminder to us all to not single anyone out.

Millions of people around the world - lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, straight allies - are nameless victims of homophobia and heterosexism by being forced into the closet. By participating in Day of Silence, you are not only giving them a name, but a voice.

I wish all you DOSsers the best of luck and stay safe!

Rachel

6,800!

2008-04-24T10:49:00.005-04:00

Day of Silence registration continues to break records. We just passed students registering from 6,800 middle and high schools! We'd love to pass 7,000. Make sure you sign up if you haven't yet.

Last year at this time, we had slightly more than 4,000.

Thank you to everyone who is doing their part to make sure that what happened to Lawrence King never happens again.

Don't forget to check out our Facebook (here and here) and MySpace pages (here and here).

This map shows the concentration of student-led Day of Silence events around the country for 2008. There are events being held in all states and the darker the color the more DOS events. The underlying data was supplied by students who registered their participation at StudentOrganizing.org.

CNN's Larry King Films PSA for Lawrence (Larry) King and the Day of Silence

2008-04-23T21:45:00.002-04:00

CNN talk show host Larry King has made a PSA to call attention to the death of Lawrence (Larry) King and the problem of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. This is the second time in a week that a well-known personality has made a video tribute for this year's National Day of Silence. GLSEN would like to thank Larry King for taking the time from his busy schedule during Tuesday night's election primary coverage to tape this spot:

(Give it a couple of seconds to get started.)

What to Do if You Can't Be Silent

2008-04-23T21:31:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is Southern Connecticut State University's Annual Day of Silence celebration, and in less than twelve hours, LGBT Prism, my university's Gay/Straight Alliance; the SCSU chapter of Amnesty International, an international human rights organization; and a dozen of other student clubs and allies will be demonstrating on the large bridge that connects East and West Campuses and standing silently for about four hours. There will be some "Speaking People" to help coordinate how people will be spread out on the bridge and around campus; take pictures; talk to students passing by if they have questions about the people staying silent; and talk with the media should they arrive. We also know that many members of the campus community are staying silent in their classes; fortunately, the faculty and administration have been very supportive. We feel very lucky to have gotten so much support from the university. We are expecting even more people at our community vigil/speak-out later tomorrow night, which will be taped and sent to the president of the university. Even though she cannot attend, she has told us that she supports our message 100%!

I have received questions from many of my fellow students and some faculty about what to do if you can't stay silent. For instance, one of my fellow peers, a wondeful ally of the LGBT community, states that she has three or four oral presentations (one in Japanese!) tomorrow and can't stay silent or else she will fail her assignments. Moreover, one supportive faculty member told me she had already planned an important lecture for her class that cannot be held back and is conflicted as to how to observe the Day of Silence.

Fortunately, I was able to give these two people good tips on how to observe the Day of Silence, even if they can't stay silent for all or any part of the day:

1. If you're a student, let people know what the Day of Silence is and what people are doing nation/worldwide to observe or celebrate it. It is always good to let people know what the Day of Silence is and, more importantly, why it's so important even if everyone in your campus community is not observing it. By spreading the word and garnering support from students and school staff this year, you might be able to organize a Day of Silence the following year that will engage more students and gain more administrative support. Word-of-mouth is the strongest form of publicity!

2. If you're a teacher, incorporate the theme or message of the Day of Silence into your lesson plans. The faculty member at SCSU who I talked to stated that she was doing a lecture on oppression in Mexico, so I advised her that she should connect the Day of Silence's anti-oppression message with the issue of prejudice and discrimination in Mexico. Not only will this create a meaningful relationship between the Day of Silence and a course topic, but it also has the potential to mobilize students to learn more about the topic and take action.

I think it's important to remember that just because the Day of Silence requires one to stay silent, that does not mean that it makes one invinsible. Unfortunately, the many types of oppression that exist within society force one to be marginalized to the point of invisibility. However, our shared purpose for this day of action should be to show our communities that silence can often speak louder than words and serve as the mirror for people's own prejudices and societal bigotry.

Dallas Mayor Proclaims April 25, 2008 as Day of Silence

2008-04-23T15:19:00.002-04:00

City of Dallas supports youth-led call for an end to the bullying and harassment. Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert has proclaimed Friday, April 25, 2008 as Day of Silence Day in the city.

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR/CITY OF DALLAS
Proclamation
WHEREAS, the National Day of Silence is a day in which students take a vow of silence to bring attention to the anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender name-calling, bullying, and harassment faced by individuals in schools, including students, teachers, and other school staff;

WHEREAS, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network has designated one day of every April as the National Day of Silence;

WHEREAS, the 2008 National Day of Silence will be held in memory of Lawrence King, a 14-year-old California student who was shot and killed in school in February by a 14-year-old classmate because of King’s sexual orientation and gender identity/expression;

WHEREAS, more than 500,000 students from more than 5,000 junior and high schools participated in the National Day of Silence in previous years;

WHEREAS, more than 80 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students have been verbally harassed at school by their peers because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression;

WHEREAS, nearly 40 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students were physically harassed by their peers because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression;

WHEREAS, nearly 20 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students were physically assaulted by their peers at school because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression;

WHEREAS, 40 States do not have laws protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students from name-calling, bullying, and harassment that occurs at school because of sexual orientation ; and

WHEREAS, every child should be guaranteed an education free from name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression; Now, therefore, be it;

NOW, THEREFORE, I TOM LEPPERT, mayor of the City of Dallas and on behalf of the Dallas City Council do herby proclaim April 25, 2008 as

Day of Silence Day
In Dallas, Texas.

RALLY: The Dallas chapter of GLSEN, in partnership with Youth First Texas, has organized over 20 Dallas and Ft. Worth community organizations to join with the Day of Silence student participants for the first ever Breaking the Silence Rally.

The event, designed to show support for schools that are free from violence and harassment, will be held at 7:00 p.m. on April 25 in Reverchon Park, located near the intersection of Maple and Oak Lawn in Dallas.

Four Things You Should Know About Student Rights and Day of Silence

2008-04-23T12:57:00.005-04:00

The ACLU has some tips for students who plan to participate in the Day of Silence.

1. You DO have a right to participate in Day of Silence and other expressions of your 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 your day. If your principal or a teacher tells you otherwise, you should contact the ACLU national office or GLSEN national headquarters at GLSEN.ORG.

2. You do NOT have a right to remain silent during class time if a teacher asks you to speak. If you want to stay quiet during class on Day of Silence, we recommend that you talk to your teachers ahead of time, tell them what you plan to do, and ask them if it would be okay for you to communicate on that day in writing. Most teachers will probably say yes.

3. Your school is NOT required to "sponsor" Day of Silence. A lot of schools this year are announcing that they aren’t sponsoring Day of Silence due to pressure from national anti-gay groups. But Day of Silence is rarely a school-sponsored activity to begin with — it’s almost always an activity led by students. So don’t be confused — just because your school is saying that the school won’t officially sponsor or participate in Day of Silence doesn’t mean that it’s saying you can’t participate.

4. Students who oppose Day of Silence DO have the right to express their views, too. Like you, they must do so in a civil, peaceful way and they must limit their expression to non-instructional time. They do NOT have a right to skip school on Day of Silence without any consequences, just as you don’t have a right to skip school just because you don’t like what they think or say.

To read the whole article click here.

Lance Bass Films PSA for GLSEN and The Day of Silence

2008-04-22T17:36:00.000-04:00

GLSEN is proud to have *NSYNC's Lance Bass contribute his time to film this important public service announcement in support of students across the country who are getting ready for the National Day of Silence that will be held on April 25, 2008.

View the 60 second version of the PSA:

View the 30 second version of the PSA: