Day Of Silence

It's a day where gays, lesbians, trangenders, and even straights are heard. Or, rather, silent. For those who support, we are silent; we represent those who cannot stand up and speak, and those who have suffered hate crimes and abuse. For the braver ones, painted stitches across our mouths symbolize our silence. I am one of those people. I am silent, but not invisible. You see the paint on my face and know who I am and what I stand for. I am not beautiful or gorgeous, but on this day, I turn heads. I am seen, and my face says it all.

The slip that we are given when we preticapate: "Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by by harrasment, prejudice, and discrimination. I believe the anding the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. think about the voices you are not hearing today.

What are you going to do to end the silence?"