Speaking up with silence

By Jocelyn Melin
St. Albans High School

On April 18, students from more than 5,000 middle and high schools across the country signed up to participate in the 11th annual Day of Silence. The purpose of this event was to protest the silence that many gay teens endure because of the fear of harassment, ridicule and hatred should they come out.

I, for one, participated in the Day of Silence. I am straight, but I know several gay teens. To me, they are just like everyone else. I didn’t think that it was too much to ask to be silent for one day when some gay teens have to be silent for years.

Many of them are scared of the consequences of coming out, so they hide the way they feel for a long time. What is one day of not talking compared to the ridicule, bullying and torture that some teens face daily just for being truthful?

It was not hard to be quiet for a day. After all, it’s only one day, and maybe with it, we can end some of the hatred and fear and makes things better and easier for everyone.

I encourage people to participate in next year’s Day of Silence. It is not much of a sacrifice considering what you are standing up to help stop.

Everyone is different, and we all have our opinions of what’s right and wrong. But we need to be tolerant. Different people will have different lifestyles. You don’t have to support gay rights but neither do you have to ridicule and harass those people who have enough courage to be themselves and be truthful about how they feel.