Lawrence King Pre-Trial Postponed Again...

2009-05-20T08:32:00.003-04:00

Ventura County Superior Court Judge James Cloninger Monday set the preliminary hearing for 15-year-old murder suspect Brandon McInerney to July 8.

Brandon is accused of fatally shooting classmate Lawrence King on Feb. 12, 2008. You may remember Brandon's father was found dead of an accidental death back in March.

Judge sets preliminary hearing for McInerney (Ventura County Star)

Junior High GSA Member Given Award in Santa Cruz

2009-05-13T18:26:00.003-04:00

Maddie Smith, 14, will be given the Queer Youth Leadership Award this Saturday at the Santa Cruz County Task Force awards ceremony.

Smith, who is an out bisexual eighth-grader, is an outspoken member of her school's Gay Straight Alliance and has worked to educate teachers and staff about bullying of queer youth. Before the November election, she wore anti-Proposition 8 T-shirts to school every day.

Congrats Maddie!

Students, allies heralded for raising awareness of gay youth (The Mercury News: Central Coast)

The Homorazzi on ThinkB4YouSpeak PSAs: They're 'playful and humorous'

2009-05-13T18:25:00.001-04:00

Not only do they try to get people to stop using ‘gay’ as a synonym for anything that sucks, but they do it in a playful and humourous way...I think it’s great that a superstar actress like (as far as we know) heterosexual Hilary Duff, who has a lot of admiration and respect amongst the youth of today, to contribute her celebrity to be a part of this.

We agree. If you haven't seen the ads yet. Check them out at www.thinkb4youspeak.com.

That's So Gay (Homorazzi)

Safe Schools Improvement Act Introduced May 5th

2009-05-05T14:56:00.000-04:00

GLSEN is excited to announce that a federal anti-bullying bill – the Safe Schools Improvement Act – was introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 5 by California Rep. Linda Sanchez.

The Safe Schools Improvement Act will require schools that receive funding from the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act to implement an anti-bullying policy that protects students from bullying and harassment and includes protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, among other categories.

Now the hard work begins and we need your help. The bill had 35 cosponsors upon introductioin, and we’d like to see that number increase.

Please consider reaching out to your Representative and ask her or him to become a cosponsor of the Safe Schools Improvement Act. For more information about how to contact your Representative and a list of current and past cosponsors, CLICK HERE.

The bill’s introduction came less than a month after the tragic suicides of a fifth and sixth grader in part because of anti-LGBT bullying. Bullying of all kinds has to stop, and the Safe Schools Improvement Act is a crucial step in making schools safer for all students.

Thank you for your support!

Supportive Board Member Working to Help LGBT Students

2009-05-04T12:40:00.006-04:00

Students at Kennewick High School in Washington have asked to get a GSA in place, but were told it wouldn't be well received. A supportive school board member however, is working to get over that hurdle.

"Kids are experiencing rejection for no good reason and I think we have work to do to fix that," said Wendy London, a member of the Kennewick School Board...

London has committed to have monthly meetings with the Vista Youth Center. She says hopefully some work on training and education on Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) related issues for school district staff can be done.

Anti-Gay Bullying At Some Kennewick Schools. School Leaders Working on Changes (NBC KNDU News) VIDEO clip.

You were successfully silent, now speak to us!

2009-04-28T18:00:00.003-04:00

Comment on this blog post with your stories!

We congratulate all of you for participating in the 13th Annual National Day of Silence! Your silence spoke volumes by calling attention to anti-LGBT bullying and harassment. Awareness activities like the DOS can help make schools safer. Now it's time to learn from your event and the experiences of other organizers. Please let us know how it went for you by commenting on this blog post.

Here is a sample of a story from last year’s DOS, and questions to help guide your feedback:

A student from Florida reports: I go to a very small school where there are only about 30 kids in the whole high school so it made it a bit more difficult. I got one of my classmates to be a part of it with me. We accomplished a lot on that day because at least we let people know that it’s ok to speak out no matter what sexual orientation you are. My teacher congratulated me on being involving in the Day of Silence.

Guiding questions for submitting a story:

1. Have you participated in the Day of Silence before?

2. What type of school do you go to, small or large, public or private, rural, urban, or suburban?

3. How many people participated or supported your Day of Silence event?

4. Did anything extraordinary happen?

5. Were there supportive teachers?

6. Did you have a Breaking the Silence event?

Now That's Moxie!

2009-04-28T12:14:00.004-04:00

How's this for breaking stereotypes?

...a four-year member of the football and baseball teams, and a band member, Kiran is a well-liked out gay student.

Kiran Raghubir was recently given a Moxie Award and a $2000 scholarship from an organization called PFund.

He always put his academics first—as a result, he has been recognized two years running for having the highest GPA of any player on the football team. According to his Admission Possible senior coach, Kiran has a deep knowledge of himself and his identity, and he is masterful when interacting with his peers. Kiran plans to integrate his love of the clarinet and piano with his college career.

2009 PFund Scholarship Recipients (PFund Online)

Demi Lovato Tweets Against Bullying

2009-04-24T13:13:00.002-04:00

Disney Channel star Demi Lovato read about Jaheem Herrera's suicide and was personally moved to speak out. Herrera was the second 11-year-old to take his own life this month due to bullying and harassment using anti-gay taunts. Both boys were very young and neither was known to be gay.

Lovato started tweeting about her own experience with being bullied:

"I can't explain what I went through when I left public school to start homeschooling.. One day I will. But right now..." about 7 hours ago from web

"It honestly amazes me how schools refuse to take action in verbal abuse.. they SAY they do, but this what ends up happening. So, so sad.." about 8 hours ago from web

You can check out the CNN article here, and Lovato's Twitter page is here.

Latest Media Coverage About DoS and Carl Walker-Hoover

2009-04-21T12:24:00.008-04:00

Here's an ABC World News Tonight piece. Don't forget the Kleenex.

Extreme Bullying

Print article from ABC News.

When Words Can Kill: 'That's so gay'

Philadelphia Daily News ran a similar piece about Carl and the Day of Silence

Day of Silence today in support of students bullied for sexual orientation

Here's an article from the Huffington Post about bullying. And the author asks, "maybe its time for the adults to start making some noise."

'Getting Real' About Bullying-Related Suicides

Evaluate your Day of Silence!

2009-04-17T19:32:00.001-04:00

Once your Day of Silence event is over make sure that you assess how it went. There are a variety of ways to ask people who participated how it went for them, from having a survey, to having a conversation. You can even do both.

Having a conversation allows people to tell their story in detail. Administering a survey allows you to collect quantitative data. The latter can be good for your school administrators. Both options can help you build upon your DOS activities for next year.

Here is a sample Day of Silence evaluation - download PDF here (1 page).

Video from DiversityInc.

2009-04-17T17:05:00.000-04:00

In honor of the 13th Annual Day of Silence

GLSEN'S Day of Silence Tweet Team

2009-04-17T16:00:00.009-04:00

Just a few of us Twitterers! In no particular order....

GLSEN Martha

GLSEN Matthew

GLSEN Leigh

GLSEN Kevin

GLSEN Justin

GLSEN Megan

GLSEN Holiday

...and GLSEN Barbara ;-)

Twitter #FollowFriday - We're No. 3 !

2009-04-17T13:14:00.004-04:00

Oprah is No. 1, Ashton Kutcher is No. 2 and Day of Silence is No. 3!! And it's only midday.

If you Tweet, please endorse the Day of Silence. Let's get those trending numbers up.

SOURCE: http://topfollowfriday.com/

I have been sucked into the DOS Twitterverse.

2009-04-17T13:08:00.003-04:00

Really, I love Twitter. It's fast and informative and fun and I can follow all the issues important to me. These issues, of course, include bullying and harassment in schools, particularly that of LGBT students and allies. But today it's been hard to follow everything!

Today, as you know, is the National Day of Silence, and Twitter has exploded with DOS-related posts. (Click here to follow.) People all across the country and the world are tweeting about anti-LGBT bullying and harassment and are taking a stand by supporting the Day of Silence. Today is also Follow Friday, and Twitterers, Tweeters and Twits alike are endorsing DayofSilence in their posts! Right now DOS is the #3 most endorsed in all of the Twittervese, according to TopFollowFriday.com. Won't you help us climb to to the top? Go to your Twitter account and post #followfriday @dayofsilence and help get us to #1.

And make sure to join our TweetChat today at 3:30 PM Eastern.

It's already an amazing Day of Silence! Keep us in the loop and tell us what you're doing to end LGBT bullying in your school, and keep Tweeting the Silence!

Interview with Carl Walker-Hoover's mom at ESSENCE.com

2009-04-16T22:31:00.002-04:00

More details about what led an 11-year-old boy to take his own life in this ESSENCE.com article. Carl Walker-Hoover would have turned 12 tomorrow on the Day of Silence. He didn't identify as gay, and yet he was constantly harassed with anti-LGBT language. It's a tragic reminder of why ALL bullying must stop and why we have to train educators to identify and address anti-LGBT bullying.

How to observe the Day of Silence?

2009-04-16T22:21:00.002-04:00

Be silent
Talk
Wear red
Wear rainbow
Wear any color
Tweet the Silence
Silence your tweets
Blog the silence
Silence your blog

Whatever you do, be respectful, especially of others who are observing the Day of Silence, but bring attention to the issues of anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harrasment in schools.

Make sure you prepare all of your materials for the Day of Silence tomorrow!

2009-04-16T17:55:00.003-04:00

Updated: Find materials for download here.

Juggling between homework assignments, extracurricular activities, and organizing a Day of Silence can be a lot! There are so many students who tell me how they spent weeks preparing for the Day of Silence only to be unprepared the morning of their event. From Day of Silence t-shirts being dirty or wrinkled, to speaking cards getting lost, there are a number of ways that your last minute prepping can go awry.

So, double check your to-do list tonight and make sure you'll be set to run a smooth event tomorrow. Here are a few tips to help you in your last minute preparations:

1. Make a to-do list of last minute tasks
2. The night before your event call all of the people helping you organize to make sure everyone is on the same page
3. Find, wash, iron and otherwise make pretty all of your DOS paraphernalia
4. Print out all of the materials you will need
5. Make sure your camera battery is charged
6. Double check your to-do list

Ready, set, go!

Updated: Find materials for download here.

Register and pledge - let us know you're out there!

2009-04-16T14:52:00.004-04:00

Every year after the Day of Silence we tally up the numbers of participants and supporters to share with our donors and to highlight the importance of the work that GLSEN does. Don't you want to be counted?

Students (middle, high school and college) register here.

Adults - Support our students by signing the pledge.

Help us prove that people care about ending anti-LGBT bullying.

Responding to critics of the DOS

2009-04-15T18:40:00.001-04:00

This is a guest post from GLSEN Holiday:

In some communities there are people who oppose the Day of Silence (DOS) for various reasons. If you're looking for ways to address critics here is a bit of information.

What do you have to say about potential opponents to the Day of Silence?
The issue at hand is the bullying, harassment, name-calling and violence that students see and face in our schools. The Day of Silence is an activity created and led by students to educate their peers and bring an end to this harassment.

More info can be found on the Day of Silence FAQ page.

Those who do not support the Day of Silence often protest, but rarely contribute positively to finding ways to end anti-LGBT harassment. Some individuals and groups organize events in response to the Day of Silence. These folks sometimes misunderstand and frequently mischaracterize the basic purpose of the Day of Silence. Bringing attention to opponents only adds false credibility to their misinformation about the Day of Silence, GLSEN and the thousands of American students taking action on April 17th.

If you face hostile students or organizations in your school on the Day of Silence remember to remain calm. GLSEN encourages you to not get into a debate, make gestures and certainly not to get into a physical altercation. If you continue to be harassed, we advise you to contact your GSA advisor or other ally school staff person.

GLSEN looks forward to engaging all organizations and individuals who share the Day of Silence vision of schools free from anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment.

What does Silence mean to you?

2009-04-15T17:35:00.003-04:00

As the Day of Silence approaches we’ve been getting lots of questions and comments along two similar but distinct threads on our various websites and in our email.

1) Do I need to be silent all day? Can I communicate at all? Can I blog/tweet/facebook?

2) Being silent doesn’t help and only perpetuates the problem. We should be speaking out.

The answer to both of these is similar: being silent has been and continues to be a very powerful way to create positive dialogue around the problem of anti-LGBT bullying for many students across the country. However, each person who participates in the Day of Silence has a different way of participating.

For some, the best way to participate is by being completely silent, including not participating in online communication. For others, the best way to participate is by spending the day speaking out about the issues of LGBT bullying. Some who participate get limited approval from their schools for their participation and so can only be silent during breaks between classes. There are many ways of participation ranging from complete silence to no silence.

The point is that the DOS is a day to bring attention to the problem of anti-LGBT bullying and each person who participates must determine how they can best use, or not use, their voice to do that. If you feel you will have the deepest positive impact by remaining completely silent and have the appropriate approvals to do so then go for it. If you feel that in your situation, you can have a deeper positive impact by speaking out then that should be your way of observing. No one can make that determination but you.

Your voice, whether silent or loud, WILL make a difference this Friday and the Day of Silence will speak volumes.

A great idea for Breaking the Silence

2009-04-14T17:38:00.013-04:00

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!

Looking Back, Looking Forward

2009-04-14T13:17:00.011-04:00

This is a guest posting from Chris Clevenger,
GLSEN Jump-Start National Student Leadership Team,
GLSEN Greater Cincinnati

Looking back on my first Day of Silence, I realize that it was rough. I can remember the negativity that originated from the student body at my high school. I remember the name calling, the threats, and the hate. I remember it being called a "Gay Day", and a lot of the community getting outraged that the school would allow such a thing.

Most of all though, I remember the support that came from those who cared. The students and teachers who stood by me throughout the day knew that we were standing up for rights that EVERYONE deserved.

Now, a year later, it's amazing to see how far we've come. It leaves me in awe to think about how much our support base has grown. Now I have a established Gay Straight Alliance with a student base of about thirty members... not bad for a school with less than one thousand in total. It gives me great pride to see how far my community has come, all because of a group of people who stood up for what they believed in.

So, while you are silent throughout the day on Friday, remember that what YOU are doing is making a difference. You are paving the way for the change that we've all are waiting for.

DAY of Silence? How About a WEEK of Tolerance?

2009-04-14T12:38:00.003-04:00

Here's a school that has not only organized a Day of Silence, but has created an entire week of tolerance education!

Geneva IL The Gay/Straight Alliance Club at Geneva High School will host several optional activities this week to promote a Week of Tolerance...

Friday - Day of Silence, where Gay/Straight Alliance students will remain silent and not send text messages during the school day. Students will have permission not to speak from their teachers. All students will be encouraged to wear their Gay/Straight Alliance at Geneva High School T-shirts.

Geneva students host Tolerance Week (The Chronicle)

Spring Break hasn't stopped their Day of Silence

2009-04-13T17:59:00.011-04:00

Although the national Day of Silence will take place this Friday on April 17, due to different school break schedules some students have already had their activities. Here are two stories students posted on MySpace:

"We sold stickers and cards as a fundraiser, and I handed out duct tape to those who wanted to tape their mouths shut and we did get a lot of negative comments. But during the last two periods the club met and there were about 30 people, which was amazing considering our last meeting was only about 15. The day was amazing, and I loved how this day just brought us all together."
Adrianne D. / Connecticut

"My club did DOS Friday April 3rd since we had spring break this week. We didn’t really get a chance to plan much but we made signs and t-shirts. Even though the posters were torn down 10 minutes after being put up almost every time, we kept putting them up and wore SHHH on our shirts.

"I just wanted to say THANK YOU for this event. It has changed the judgment from some of my friends and teachers and it was a total blast. It showed me how to handle my temper with people who don't understand the LGBT community; it showed me how to not respond to their negative responses and actions. THANK YOU!"
Emma I. / Tennessee.

Tweet the Silence on April 17!

2009-04-12T21:58:00.007-04:00

Get Tweet the Silence buttons, click here.

[updated: 4-14-09 14:21pm]
Let’s get a Twitter movement going for this year’s Day of Silence. It’s a way everyone can get involved even if your school isn’t participating in the day of action. Let’s generate some Twitter buzz to support everyone taking a vow of silence.

Here’s how:
From now until Friday the 17th tweet at least once a day about the Day of Silence. And invite your friends to tweet about it too. And tweet them to become a Day of Silence follower.

On Friday the 17th
On the Day of Silence tweet about it as much as possible.

Important: If you are a student in middle or high school, make sure you only tweet during times that your school permits. Tweet in the morning before school starts, at lunch (if allowed), and especially after school.

If you can’t tweet any other time, plan to tweet within one hour after classes end. We hope that will create a rolling, growing Twitter movement from the East to the West coast as schools close for the day. Students in Alaska and Hawaii, join in when you can. And if you live outside the U.S. you can be a part too.

Tweet topics
Tweet what you’re doing for DOS. Tweet how many students are participating at your school. Tweet the different ways you’re getting support. Tweet if you’re holding a Breaking the Silence event. Tweet about how many buttons you’re wearing. Tweet about the reactions of your classmates.
Basically, if it has to do with DOS, tweet it in the days leading up to Friday.

Tagging your tweets
Don’t forget to mention DOS (@dayofsilence) by using the “@” or “#” tags. For general Twitter info, click here. (Now you can use the “@dayofsilence” anywhere in your tweet, not just at the beginning.) More about this tag, click here.

Follow Friday
April 17th is a Friday, so you can also tag your tweets: #followfriday. That’s a great way to recommend to other Twitter users who to follow. Find out about Follow Friday here and here.

Buttons
We have Tweet the Silence! buttons for your web site. To get one, click here.

The Day of Silence is almost here, so get tweeting.