dos_b1The National Day of Silence is a day for students to brings attention to the name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools against lesbian, gay bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students. During this day, participants do not speak during school hours. This year the Day of Silence occurred during the week Beth’s school was on vacation so the day was moved to last week at her school. Beth is a strong believer in equal rights for all so she is a member of the Strides club which promotes tolerance among students and of course she participated in the Day of Silence. Here is the card that Beth was giving out to anyone who tried to speak to her during the day.

Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence (DOS), a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by anti-LGBT bullying, name-calling, and harassment. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward building awareness and making a commitment to address these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today.

I am very proud of you Beth!

On a related note: Same-sex couples began applying for marriage licenses at government offices across Iowa today and the first couple has tied the knot in a ceremony in Des Moines.