Students Take a Silent Stand for Gay Peers

The halls of high schools across the suburbs were quieter Friday.
Silence dominated in cafeterias and classrooms as well.

Students at many area schools observed April 15 as the “Day of Silence” to draw attention to the bullying and harassment of students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

“This is not about do you approve or accept this,” said Mary Rapp, one of two teachers who moderate the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at Niles West High School in Skokie. “This is about creating safety for all. We want all of our kids to feel safe and welcomed in this school.”

To make the point, students volunteered not speak in the halls, cafeteria or even the classroom, unless there was a project or assignment that demanded they break their silence.

“They kind of take on the persona of kids who are afraid to be who they are, who are afraid to be known,” Rapp said. “It’s an interesting experience, especially for kids who are very outgoing.”

Rapp did not know how many Niles West students would participate, but said it would be hundreds.

Students at the University of Virginia founded Day of Silence in 1996 and worked to make it a national project, according to Links-North Shore Youth Health Service, which offers the Pride Youth Program for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens.

The program was created because LGBT youth are at increased risk for depression, truancy, dropping out of school, substance abuse and suicide, according to the heath service.

 The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network became the official organizational sponsor of the Day of Silence in 2001.  Today, the event has become the largest student-led, in-school action in regards to recognizing sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

Last year, almost half of the students at participated, said Hannah Davis, a junior who has been president of the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance since her freshman year.

Davis, who came out as a lesbian while in junior high, said she really hasn’t faced any harassment in high school, but was bullied when she was younger.

“No one really knows what it’s like unless they experience it,” said Davis.

Teacher Christine Lubarsky, one of two moderators of the GSA at Niles North, said the amount of support for the day has grown over the past several years.

“We don’t want a community that condones bullying,” said Lubarsky. “We hope the effect lasts beyond the day.”

At Niles West, students followed the Day of Silence with a “Night of Noise,” where they shared their experiences from the day, said teacher Carol Goodfriend, another GSA moderator at Niles West.

At Maine East High School in Park Ridge, teacher John Schwan expected 180-200 teens--about 10 percent of the student population--to participate. Those who remained silent got a stick-on badge and a card that explained the day to teachers and other students.

“They are making their peers aware,” said Schwan, who moderates the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance.

Students and teachers at area schools say that diverse populations help limit the amount of bullying, but no environment is perfect.

Challenges are posed in ethnically, culturally and religiously diverse communities, where some students consider homosexuality is sinful.

“We respect that,” Rapp said. “But we make the point that we have to respect everyone.”

To underscore that this is a human rights issue, the Amnesty International club at Niles West joined in sponsoring the day.

Schwan said the diversity can help.

“There are 80 languages spoken by students at Maine East,” he said. “We have such a diverse school, there is an embedded appreciation for differences. The gay students are more accepted because of that.”