Day of Silence Walkout

Special Report - April 15, 2009
On April 17, the pro-homosexual “Day of Silence” will be observed by thousands of students in public and private schools across America, including nearly 200 schools in North Carolina. Created by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the 13th annual “Day of Silence” is scheduled for Friday, April 17, although some schools observe the event on other dates. GLSEN describes the “Day of Silence” as “a student-led day of action when concerned students…take some form of a vow of silence to bring attention to the name-calling, bullying and harassment—in effect, the silencing—experienced by LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) students and their allies.” It is important to note that the “Day of Silence” event is not always organized by school officials but by student members of pro-homosexual student clubs known as Gay-Straight Alliances, or GSAs.

For the second year in a row, a coalition of pro-family organizations is urging Christian parents to pull their children out of schools that are actively or passively participating in the “Day of Silence.” Organized by several groups, including the Illinois Family Institute, Mission: America, and the American Family Association, the “Day of Silence Walkout” is a national initiative aimed at protesting the promotion of the homosexual agenda in schools. It was inspired by Laurie Higgins, an Illinois mom who decided to pull her teenage daughter out of school to protest the event.

“While in the public school setting, it is legitimate to teach students that there exist diverse opinions on this issue, it is not legitimate to imply that one of those opinions is preferable to another,” explains Mrs. Higgins, who now works for the Illinois Family Institute. “While it is appropriate to teach students that tolerance requires that society should treat all with civility, it is not appropriate to teach that tolerance requires students to accept the view that homosexual conduct is moral.”

The “Day of Silence Walk-out” organizers advise parents to call their local public or private school and ask them specifically if they allow students or teachers to be silent in the classroom as part of the Day of Silence. If the answer is yes, parents are advised to send a letter to the teachers, school administrators, and all school board members, telling them that they will be keeping their child home that day and explaining why. A sample letter is available on their web site, as well as other tips about pulling children from public schools.

Copyright © 2009. North Carolina Family Policy Council. All rights reserved.