Charlotte Jennings
Contributing Writer
Day of Silence is a day of protest to emphasize and recognize LGBTQIA+ lives lost by violence and suicide.
This year, it happened on April 12.
“It’s meant to point out what life would be like if people weren’t there anymore,” Susan Riegel, Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) sponsor, said when asked about the importance of Day of Silence.
Day of Silence was started by two college students who wanted to protest the homophobia and transphobia in America.
“It first started as something for gay men and lesbians, but it eventually grew,” Riegel said.
So far in 2024, there are 487 anti-LGBTQ bills in the United Staes, 35 being in Missouri. Multiple of these bills would affect the school life of LGBTQ students, including forced outings.
“Homophobia can come in many forms. Sometimes I get weird looks on the streets or I’ll overhear hateful conversations between students, which makes me feel uncomfortable and unsafe” said freshman Kori Stuber.
Now, by including the full LGBTQ+ community, it brings awareness to the hate crimes and suicide rates among all members of the community.
According to the Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers.
“[Day of Silence] is important because it brings awareness to a community that doesn’t always have a voice,” junior and GSA co-leader Ellis Gibson said.
When participating in Day of Silence, people don’t communicate in person or through social media.
“I’ve been participating in Day of Silence for three years, and it really changed my perspective because it showed me how difficult it is to live a normal day without communicating,” Gibson said.
“While I think the importance of Day of Silence has decreased some due to the new generation being more accepting, there are still hate crimes, especially with trans folks being killed,” Riegel said.
“It’s important to participate because you put yourself into the shoes of people who can’t be out or who can’t live their life,” Gibson said.
At the end of Day of Silence, students break their silence, which allows them to speak to others about their experiences.
“It was weird because I had been silent all day, but it also felt nice because I knew I was being quiet for an important reason,” said freshman Sam Kruse.
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