Below are a couple of stories we received. If you’d like to share your Day of Silence experiences, we’d love to hear from you!

Sadie isn’t on FB yet (she’s only 11), so mom is sending this for her. Her middle school, New School for the Arts & Academics in Tempe, AZ, is recognizing DOS by encouraging all students to pledge/participate & by respecting their choice to remain silent. They will “end the silence” later this afternoon with a viewing & discussion of the documentary BULLY.
Thanks for all of YOU for your efforts for positive change in the world!

-Jean R.

I am so excited for tomorrow’s Day of Silence!! I asked my teachers if I could participate and they were all more than welcoming to the idea. They even said they will help me communicate with my peers when needed in any way possible without speaking. Even my math teacher (she is lesbian) said she was very proud of me for standing up for the LGBT community and she said there needs to be more people like me, willing to support a cause without worrying about what people will think of me. I’m taking the pledge to stay completely silent all day long to echo the silence of others. Your foundation truly has made a difference and I cannot thank you enough for it!

-Rianna

I liked how a lot of people that I didn’t normally socialize with would ask me why I wasn’t talking, and I’d give them one of the print-out cards, and they would be so supportive and agreeable. There were just so many people who thought it was really cool, and before today I didn’t know a thing about them.

-Nicole C.

What’s better than taking a selfie? Taking a selfie for a good cause!

Your selfies are flowing in on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Instagram, and through our website. It’s inspiring to see so many people showing their support–showing your support.

I started putting together a slideshow of the selfies (it’s playing on the screen in our conference room!)

Do you want to join in?

Grab a sign, take a pic, and share it. You can post it on your own social network and tag it with #DayOfSilence, submit it to our Tumblr, or send it in to us.

We’d love to see it!

And we’re not the only ones. So many of you have been taking to YouTube to raise awareness about Day of Silence and the harassment and violence that LGBT students still face in schools.

Inspired by all of your amazing videos, I started a playlist on the GLSEN YouTube channel collected #DayOfSilence videos from around YouTube. Check ‘em out.

What about you? Have you created a video for Day of Silence? 

Take the time this afternoon/evening to double check your to-do list with your GSA advisor and/or fellow organizers. Make sure you haven’t put anything off until the last minute because once you get to school you will want to be able to hit the ground running in order to make the biggest impact.

Here are some things to remember as you finalize your arrangements for your Day of Silence event:

LIST: Make a to-do list of final tasks and think of people who could take on some of those tasks for you. Get started with the items on this list!

REGISTER: If you haven’t already, be sure to CLICK HERE to register your participation in the Day of Silence and be counted among the hundreds of thousands of other students nationwide participating in the Day of Silence.

CONNECT: The night before your event call, email or text all of the people helping you organize to make sure everyone is on the same page. Also make sure to stay connected on social media, like facebook and Twitter!

PRINT: Be sure you have all the materials you need, and extras to hand out, such as: Speaking Cards, Lambda Legal: Freedom to Speak (Or Not) 2013, ACLU: Letter to Principal or Educator, Stickers, and cut, fold, or label these materials as needed.

GATHER: Get all Day of Silence items and materials in one place to ensure that they are clean and organized (shirts, buttons, stickers, pamphlets, speaking cards, posters, etc.)

CHARGE: You want to take pictures, right? Text? Tweet? Make sure your camera, phone and computer batteries are all charged up and ready to go in the morning!

DOUBLE CHECK your to-do list: It never hurts to be extra careful!

REST: You’re gonna need it for your exciting day of taking action!

We are so excited to hear about how your day goes! Don’t forget to post your pictures and thoughts on facebook, Twitter or via e-mail. We love to hear from you.

Have an great and empowering day,

Juliann DiNicola

Tomorrow, thousands of students across the country will participate in Day of Silence to highlight the effects of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools.

It’s a day of youth empowerment, activism and inspiration!

But don’t worry; adults can participate in Day of Silence, too!

Make a Selfie for Silence, like I did.

Then, watch the video below for Quick Tips to support the Day of Silence today and tomorrow, and to make your school more safe and inclusive every day.

Together, we can end the silence.

1. You DO have a right to participate in Day of Silence and other expressions of your opinion at a public school during non-instructional time: the breaks between classes, before and after the school day, lunchtime, and any other free times during your day. If your principal or a teacher tells you otherwise, you should contact our office or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

2. You do NOT have a right to remain silent during class time if a teacher asks you to speak. If you want to stay quiet during class on Day of Silence, we recommend that you talk with your teachers ahead of time, tell them that you plan to participate in Day of Silence and why it’s important to you, and ask them if it would be okay for you to communicate in class on that day in writing. Most teachers will probably say yes.

3. Your school is NOT required to “sponsor” Day of Silence. But Day of Silence is rarely a school-sponsored activity to begin with – it’s almost always an activity led by students. So don’t be confused – just because your school isn’t officially sponsoring or participating in Day of Silence doesn’t mean that you can’t participate.

4. Students who oppose Day of Silence DO have the right to express their views, too. Like you, they must do so in a civil, peaceful way and they only have a right to do so during non-instructional time. For example, they don’t have a right to skip school on Day of Silence without any consequences, just as you don’t have a right to skip school just because you don’t like what they think or say.

If you feel like your rights have been violated, please report your experiences here.

In my school, every year a week before the Day of Silence, high school students visit middle school classes to discuss LGBT issues, bullying, and the day of silence itself. This day is called The Day of Acceptance. This past Thursday, I decided to participate in this event, and the response I received from the 8^th grade class could not have been more positive.  We discussed what it would feel like keeping one’s identity a secret, and we also discussed how to not be a bystander when bullying happens, but an up-stander. The ideas and comments that were coming from these 8^th graders were so mature and supportive. Because this class was so responsive, we went on to discuss the Day of Silence. I was happy to find out that the middle school already knew about this day and what it meant, and I was also happy to learn that acceptance and maturity about the topic of sexuality has increased since the time I was in middle school, which was not even so long ago.

Although there are not many out students at my school, there are many straight allies, like myself, that are willing to advocate for those voices that could not be heard today. Overall, I think that only good can come out of the Day of Silence. Each year I see more students participating, more students becoming aware of LGBT issues, and more students showing their support. The enthusiasm is spreading, and this year will be my first year participating in the Day of Silence. I have always thought about doing so, and although I am already a senior at my school, it is better late than never.

As a high school senior, I look back on the times at my school, and I am so proud that so many people stay silent throughout this day to signify the silence that many people in the LGBT community, especially teens in high school,  are subjected to because of their sexual orientation. Even though I see some students begin to talk toward the end of the day, it just shows how hard it is to be silent. I have spoken to students and faculty about their silence and they all say how difficult it is to not express themselves for just one day. That one day of silence can signify a lifetime in the eyes of someone who is closeted, bullied, or a part of the LGBT community. One day is definitely not too much to ask because just one day of being silent can help and support others around the world to find their voice to speak up.

We had the opportunity to ask him a ton of questions, like: “Can we wear Day of Silence gear?” “Can we show a video during the announcements  and have discussions about what the students saw?” And, “Do teachers have the right to make students participating in the Day of Silence talk in class that day?”*  We were able to show our principal different videos, including the GLSEN video with Wanda Sykes, and he was able to give us more information and insight on what would be allowed in our school for that day.

Our GSA will be creating a formal proposal to give him, but we now know we are allowed to participate in the Day of Silence with the support and confidence of our principal.

Dana B.
Omaha, NE

*Make sure you know your rights before participating in the Day of Silence

We want to let you know that today, April 14th, is the last day to order merchandise and be sure it arrives by the Day of Silence without paying extra for rush shipping! Express, overnight shipping is available as well, so you can still order next week.

Check out this video that our student ambassador Camile made:

Make sure to order your t-shirts, buttons, stickers or posters before next week! You can get all the official Day of Silence gear at our brand new webstore!

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to register!

Sadly, not everyone agrees.

Once again, anti-LGBT extremist Linda Harvey is on the attack — demonizing LGBT people, misrepresenting the Day of Silence’s purpose, and in some cases telling outright lies.

Hear what she has to say while learning the real facts behind Day of Silence and GLSEN’s work to create safer schools in this video:

Register! Donate! Share!