— by Cara Russell —

20150417_081607Hanging around her neck was a piece of paper that said “Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence.” On Friday April 17th, the last day of classes before spring break, a small number of Orcas High School students wore these tags and even put tape over their mouths for GLSENs National Day of Silence.

GLSEN which stands for Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, was founded in 1996 and is the largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools for students of all sexual orientation and gender identities. The Day of Silence is a national day of action in which students across the country take the vow to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools.

Non-participating students were supportive of their silent classmates, and some even assisted their friends in getting through the day without being able to speak. While it was difficult to interview someone who has taken the vow, it was discovered that High school senior Lauren Ferrell, who founded a gender issues club at OHS, is responsible for this year’s participation.

For more information visit dayofsilence.org.

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