Day of Silence: Right or wrong?

[♫mëkÅ-chan♫]

This year i participated in the Day of Silence, which is that the whole day until 12am you are silent, i lasted all day at school, but if you are asked a question at school by a teacher, you can answer such as if they ask you why you are being silent you can tell them.

the reason for this is because LGBT people (lesbian, gay, bi, transgender) people are being brutually made fun of, killed, or beat up just because they are being who they are. it's not normal yes, but then again what is normal? and the silence is for all of those who feel that this needs to stopped, there was a rally too.

but some people frown upon this national day...they say it shouldn't be done. what do you think personally?

[Diocletian]

How does staying quiet prevent a biker from beating up people at a gay bar.It's like the fast to keep gangs away from my community.

If you want to help gays,you can start by getting dressed by one and paying them so that they can adopt and have a happier life that might shrink up that hole of abuse.

My school is almost all Mexican.You can be assured no ones gonna do anything.

[Amray The II]

I heard about this day before. I don't think we have it here.

But we do have a one minute silence for the people that lost their lives in WWII. It really, REALLY ticks me off when people abuse that one, JUST ONE, minute of silence for the people that died for our country just to be stupid and idiotic!! Then they start laughing and thinking their tough because they don't participate! Seriously that is one of the things in this world that well and truely puts a stick up my backside!

[Faceless111]

I personally think it's stupid. At least where I live because it seems to be a grab for attention at the individual level. Especially the kids that put duct tape over their mouths, but lucky that wasn't as big of a trend this year. Plus, this form of protest is much too weak for my tastes. I want to see fires, riots, people screaming. Remember the monks that burnt themselves to death to protest the South Vietnamese's government harsh treatment of Buddhism? That's a frickin' protest.

As for the raising awareness part of this National Day of Silence, people are already generally aware of the treatment of homosexuals in today's society unless they are truly ignorant. And since the Day of Silence started, I haven't seen much progress in the fair treatment for the LGBT community due to kids shutting up for a day. It is, in my opinion, a waste.

Thank God that I'm done with high school. I no longer have to deal with these attention mongers.

[44NekoStarr66]

that day seems a dead end to me..being silent won't do anything unless the whole school went silent and refused to talk, as too go far and get in major trouble, write a letter, and as faceless said start a fire or something...

you sound liberal meka-chan...so not resorting to violence to settle out things?
yes i know the meaning of liberal

[-Kitsune-]

I participated in it this year, but I have to admit it doesnt do much good. Especially considering that all the teachers just said "Oh. Its Gay Pride day" and brushed it off.

@Meka-chan: We got these cards that you print off the site for it that explained the event to people who wanted to know so you didnt have to talk. Again, people read it and didnt even get the meaning so it didnt do any good. Silence isnt that useful of a weapon, I've found. >.>

[DynastyxFell]

Despite what people say about silence not raising awareness, I think the Day of Silence is a good thing. All those people not talking will make people ask questions, and hopefully make them think about how hard it is for LGBT people to have to stay silent about who they are.

I agree that it isn't the most effective way to protest, but its much, much better than nothing.

[Exige]

I heard about it, we don't have it here, but... I support them, but honestly I don't see a point. If it's a sign or support, then fine, but it really can't do much for their protection or whatever =/

[Mmmmmmmmmm]

How does staying quiet prevent a biker from beating up people at a gay bar.It's like the fast to keep gangs away from my community.

If you want to help gays,you can start by getting dressed by one and paying them so that they can adopt and have a happier life that might shrink up that hole of abuse.

My school is almost all Mexican.You can be assured no ones gonna do anything.Yes,I just did a racist remark toward my own people.

You're suppose to go: "I was silent on national silent day. You can't beat me up."
And you're right, it doesn't help. It makes you look like a freak not talking.

[Amray The II]

I'm the silent type anyway. A man of few words (unless in writing). Therefore I should really take this to my advantage and do it once for all those gays out there as I will most likely be quiet through the day anyway. I doubt I ever will, but atleast I thought about it.

[poison.ivy]

Heard about it, but never done it. It'd be cool to try tho. I guess that can help in some way... well, I hope it will anyway.

[♫mëkÅ-chan♫]

didn't get anything done? mighty funny over 2,000 non-LBGT people attended the rally in Houston. and that's only in texas..who knows how many attended other rallies in other states?


well its a non-violent way to get your point across.
setting things on fire and stuff would only get innocent people hurt
which is not the intended in the process.

[Faceless111]

didn't get anything done? mighty funny over 2,000 non-LBGT people attended the rally in Houston. and that's only in texas..who knows how many attended other rallies in other states?


well its a non-violent way to get your point across.
setting things on fire and stuff would only get innocent people hurt
which is not the intended in the process.

Good for you. You got a bunch of people together to have donuts. Did the beatings and persecution of LBGT people stop? Can gays get married or adopt kids? Is the "don't ask, don't tell" policy obliterated from the military?

Firstly, violence is an excellent way to get your point across. People listen more closely to those with guns. Secondly, there is no such thing as an innocent person.

[♫mëkÅ-chan♫]

heh those people in iraq aren't innocent?
don't get me started seriously......................

people like you piss me off
"no one is innocent" HA!

fine keep saying that and see what happens.

[Faceless111]

heh those people in iraq aren't innocent?
don't get me started seriously......................

people like you piss me off
"no one is innocent" HA!

fine keep saying that and see what happens.

No on is innocent. Hmmm. Nothing happened. Lightening didn't strike me, I didn't have a heart attack, and I'm perfectly fine.

Those people in Iraq aren't innocent, little girlie. Sure, they may be the victims of atrocities and what is happening to them is unfair, but they are not without guilt. No one leads a perfect life in which they can honestly claim that they are not guilty of anything bad. Everyone has done something bad.

Why do I piss you off? Because I'm so right? Because I'm not naive?

[_Freddie_]

I believe you have to be silent because it represents how GLBT people are scared to let anyone know, and having to stay silent out of fear isn't right.


I think it's fine as long as it's voluntary, but at the schools where you're forced to participate, it's wrong.


I thought I heard something on the news a few years ago about a Christian girl who wore a shirt that said "straight and proud" on the National Day Silence was arrested. Just goes to show the double standard, you can be gay and proud but not straight and proud? Messed up.

[44NekoStarr66]

Meka..i know you mean well...but yelling at Faceless is only egging him on more. I say this: Shut up and dont argue. Actions are louder than words. and IF you could do something "violent" to get your point across you would be proving exactly what he said.

[sataned]

i honestly dont understand how a day of silence is going to help anything ... or if its trying to prove anything, but whatever GOODJOB!! ;D

[♫mëkÅ-chan♫]

Faceless ofcourse nothing will happen to you in an instant...that's just silly...but over time...

SO? they didn't attack the U.S those other people did...STILL NO reason to die. No you piss me off because you assume everyone that has done something bad derserves to die and just because what they did before we waged war on iraq has nothing to do with the fact that our bombs, our bullets, their blood and you piss me off because your ignoring that fact...im not naive and if i appear to be then your reading me the wrong way...

just to put this out there...lets put you out there in the battlefeild, no gun, no armor, nothing but the skin on your back. you wouldn't be saying what you are saying to me right now in the comfort of your home behind the screen


whereas Neko, i will not shut up because im NOT going to let Faceless talk to me like that. and as of being "violent" towards Faceless, ohh i wish i could...but im not.

[Happi Giraffe!]

I think it's ok to do something like this in respect.

[44NekoStarr66]

alright Meka...no need in telling you otherwise.

[Faceless111]

Faceless ofcourse nothing will happen to you in an instant...that's just silly...but over time...

Nothing will happen to me over time.

SO? they didn't attack the U.S those other people did...STILL NO reason to die. No you piss me off because you assume everyone that has done something bad derserves to die and just because what they did before we waged war on iraq has nothing to do with the fact that our bombs, our bullets, their blood and you piss me off because your ignoring that fact...im not naive and if i appear to be then your reading me the wrong way...

I didn't say they deserved to die. I even said that what was happening to them was unfair. I was just pointing out that they are not perfect people.

just to put this out there...lets put you out there in the battlefeild, no gun, no armor, nothing but the skin on your back. you wouldn't be saying what you are saying to me right now in the comfort of your home behind the screen

Aren't we all, here on AF, vicarious? Don't we all say things we wouldn't say in certain situations. And if I was indeed running around naked on a battlefield, I wouldn't be saying any of this. I wouldn't dare to talk philosophy when bullets are flying at me. I would be taking action, trying to survive. But my opinion on this is firm. I would still believe that no one is perfect, therefore no one is innocent.

whereas Neko, i will not shut up because im NOT going to let Faceless talk to me like that. and as of being "violent" towards Faceless, ohh i wish i could...but im not.

Talk to you like what? It clear that you are being overly emotional about this. You let your emotions wash away your rationality. I, at first, thought that you were a non-violent person. You certainly came off that way. Now I'm thinking that your stance on non-violence is just fickle.

If we were face-to-face, would you take the opportunity to slap me? To fight me? I wouldn't fight back, I'd be rather busy basking in my victory.

[♫mëkÅ-chan♫]

o___O you thought i was non-violent?
-__- in that case...........i have one thing to say

victory of what? being a smarty pants?
you might as well kick rocks with that
and two
sumimasen(i think that's how you spell it)
excuse me in japanese or otherwise sorry

im off to jump on soap bubbles and buy a rubber ducky that
has devil horns.

[sa5m]

@Meka- This is a thread, so therefore people are allowed to post their opinions. That's the responsibility of starting a thread. If someone has a differing opinion, please try not to argue too much or else this thread will be closed. ^^;

Personally, I believe that this day will not get us anywhere in the current state, since everyone is already aware, or should I say BOMBARDED, with homosexuality issues. I don't see how being silent for a day will do anything different.

There's a Facebook group that I joined that goes along the lines of being proud of being heterosexual. There's groups for being proud and homosexual, but what about the groups for being proud and heterosexual, as Numbers said?

[Gjallarhorn]

Their hearts are in the right place, but the plan isn't that well thought out. If you want to make people aware of a message, there are much, much more efficient ways of going about it.