More than 6000 schools and hundreds of thousands of students are expected to participate in the Day of Silence - a nation wide event that brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools - this Friday, April 25.

This year's National Day of Silence on April 25 will be held in memory of Lawrence King, the 15-year-old California student who was shot and killed at school in February by a 14-year-old classmate because of King's sexual orientation and gender expression.

Students hand out speaking cards during the Day of Silence that read:

"Silent for Lawrence King:
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 name-calling, bullying and harassment. This year’s DOS is held in memory of Lawrence King, a 15 year-old student who was killed in school because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. 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."

To learn more about this important event, go to http://www.dayofsilence.org/.

Last update: 04-23-2008 12:26