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Day of Silence on April 13th

by Day of Silence, GLSEN
GLSEN Breaks the Silence with Launch of Teach Respect Campaign;
Estimated 450,000 Students Will Take Part in Day of Silence 2005
One Week to Day of Silence

Apr 06, 2005
GLSEN Breaks the Silence with Launch of Teach Respect Campaign;
Estimated 450,000 Students Will Take Part in Day of Silence 2005

New York, NY – The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, proudly announces the forthcoming launch of the Teach Respect Campaign with just one week to go until this year’s Day of Silence. The Day of Silence, on April 13th, is an annual, national student-led effort in which participants take a vow of silence to peacefully bring attention to bullying and harassment faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and their allies in schools. This year GLSEN anticipates 450,000 students will take part in over 4000 schools in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

In addition to observances throughout the day on campuses across the country,
many “Breaking the Silence” rallies and events, at which students come together at the Day’s end to express themselves and share their experiences with guest speakers and members of their local communities, are scheduled to take place as a culmination of the Day’s activity. GLSEN’s Teach Respect Campaign is a national “Breaking the Silence” event that seeks to educate, inform and inspire Americans to address the serious problems of anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment that affects ALL in our nation’s schools.

“It is fitting that GLSEN launches the Teach Respect campaign on the Day of Silence,” said Kevin Jennings, Founder and Executive Director of GLSEN. “As hundreds of thousands of students lead a silent event to educate their classmates and communities about anti-LGBT bias, violence and harassment, GLSEN now breaks the silence on this issue with a campaign encouraging all Americans to take action to make schools safe for all students.”

GLSEN’s 2003 National School Climate Survey found that more than 4 out of 5 LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school and nearly 30% report missing at least a day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety. The study also found that inclusive safe schools policies, teacher trainings on LGBT issues and supporting student clubs commonly known as Gay-Straight Alliances are part of the solution to ensure schools are safe and effective environments for all students. The Day of Silence is an important way for students and their allies to make it known that anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and name-calling are unacceptable in America’s schools.

“It is not by chance that the Day of Silence gets bigger every year,” said Kevin Jennings. “This growth is indicative of a groundswell of concern expressed by LGBT students and allies that name-calling and bullying are serious problems that must be addressed. As an educator and advocate in the safe schools movement, I am inspired by the commitment, passion and dedication of the students across the country that work to make the Day of Silence a tremendous success.”

The Teach Respect campaign will use public service announcements, or PSAs, in print media and radio to raise awareness of the harmful effects of bullying and harassment in America’s schools. The Teach Respect PSAs can be viewed and heard on a re-launched educational website, http://www.TeachRespect.com. The site will also provide information and resources about what can individuals can do within their homes, schools and communities to curb anti-LGBT bullying and harassment.

About the Day of Silence
The Day of Silence, a project of GLSEN in collaboration with the United States Student Association (USSA), is a student-led day of action where those who support making anti-LGBT bias unacceptable in schools take a day-long vow of silence to recognize and protest the discrimination and harassment – in effect the silencing – experienced by LGBT students and their allies. Across the country last year an estimated 450,000 students in over 3,000 K-12 schools and over 600 colleges took part in the Day of Silence. This year the Day of Silence has already been endorsed by over 150 organizations and several local governments have issued proclamations about the day.

About GLSEN
GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, now in its 10th year, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for ALL students. GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. For more information on GLSEN’s educational resources, public policy agenda, student organizing programs or development initiatives, visit http://www.glsen.org.

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