Silence v. the Truth

What's the Day of Silence all about--and how can you respond?

On April 25, thousands of American students—some as young as 12—will participate in a "Day of Silence." They will refuse to utter a single word, not even in response to a teacher's question, in recognition of so-called discrimination and harassment—the silencing—experienced by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender peers. These silent protesters will wear special T-shirts and hand out "speaking cards" explaining their concerns. Many schools will also host follow-up events, called "Breaking the Silence," which include workshops, speakers, and entertainment—all meant to reinforce the message that "homophobia" will not be tolerated. Here’s what you need to know about the event, and how to respond to it.

 

What’s it really about?

 

First of all, it’s important to understand that the Day of Silence is organized by a national homosexual activist group— the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)— which also encourages the formation of pro-gay student clubs (Gay/Straight Alliances) in schools across the country.

 

GLSEN’s Day of Silence began in 1996 with 150 participants at one university. Today, GLSEN claims that 500,000 students participate in this event in nearly 4,000 schools, colleges and universities across the nation. Students are encouraged to wear Day of Silence T-shirts and pass out cards that proclaim they are a part of a “national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies.”  

 

One controversial aspect of this event is that Day of Silence organizers ask students to refuse to speak during classroom time, directly interfering with public schools’ mandated instruction schedule— which as we all know, is already crunched for time just to cover the academic basics.

 

So at its heart the Day of Silence is an adult-driven campaign that is selfishly done for primarily political reasons, even though well-meaning students may decide to participate.

 

Why should we be concerned?

 

GLSEN claims this event is about tolerance and safety. But if you pay close attention to the messages being communicated, it’s clear that tolerance exists only for one viewpoint—complete acceptance of homosexuality as normal and worthy of being embraced. Anyone who doesn’t agree with that message is cast as bigoted and ignorant.

 

Of course, that one-sided presentation puts students with deeply held religious convictions in danger of having their beliefs discriminated against, or worse, ridiculed.  It may also cause students who struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction to feel hopeless—because they are not given an opportunity to hear the perspective of people who say it’s possible to change if you want to do so.

 

What’s frightening about all this is the fact that events like the Day of Silence appear to have a role in shaping students' views of homosexuality.  

·          According to a recent Zogby poll, the majority of 2006 high school seniors favor legal recognition of same-sex relationships.

·          In 2007,  USA Today reported that “Gay teenagers are ‘coming out’ earlier than ever … The change is happening in the wake of opinion polls that show growing acceptance of gays ....”

·          Polls also show that a large majority of students support gay adoption.

 

Another problem with events that celebrate homosexual behavior is that they do not tell students the whole story. Any sexual behavior among unmarried young people is risky, especially homosexual behavior.  For instance, data from cities across the U.S. indicate that rates for diseases like syphilis¹, gonorrhea², hepatitis and human papilloma virus are consistently – and disproportionately – high among gay men³.  Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also reveal that the vast majority – approximately 70 percent – of cases of HIV transmission are through male homosexual activity⁴. And young men seem to be especially at risk, with groups like the American Foundation for AIDS Research stating that at least half of new HIV infections annually are among people under age 25⁵.

 

And despite nearly a quarter-century of “safe sex” education efforts undertaken in large measure by the gay activist community and its allies in the medical professions, the number of people in the United States newly reported to have HIV increased by about 50 percent from 2005 to 2006, according to data released recently by the CDC⁶.

 

So it’s irresponsible for public schools to allow students to be pushed by outside national groups to embrace a sexual lifestyle. They should at least allow students to make informed decisions by letting them hear both sides of the story.

 

How should we respond?

 

When people find out that a Day of Silence is being celebrated in their school, they may wonder how to respond in a way that expresses both truth and love. The good news is that there is an alternative: The Day of Truth, which was established by the Alliance Defense Fund in 2005, equips student of faith with a winsome and compassionate way to express their viewpoint.

 

 “In the past, students who have attempted to speak against the promotion of the homosexual agenda have been censored or, in some cases, punished for their beliefs.  It is important that students stand up for their First Amendment right to hear and speak the Truth about human sexuality in order to protect that freedom for future generations. The Day of Truth provides an opportunity to publicly exercise our free speech rights,” explains the Day of Truth Web site.

This year, the Day of Truth is being celebrated on April 28 (the Monday immediately after GLSEN’s Day of Silence). Participating students are encouraged to wear T-shirts and pass out cards (not during class time) with the following message:

 

I'm speaking the Truth to break the silence.
True tolerance means that people with differing -- even opposing -- viewpoints can freely exchange ideas and respectfully listen to each other.
It's time for an honest conversation about homosexuality.
There's freedom to change if you want to.
Let’s talk.

 

In contrast to the Day of Silence, the Day of Truth encourages dialogue.  And while the Day of Silence campaign disrupts classes and is divisive—pitting students against "intolerant" parents, relatives, peers, teachers, administrators, and community members—the Day of Truth does not disrupt classes or other activities and is meant to strengthen families. It is an opportunity to speak God's uncompromising truth in love and compassion in the hopes of setting captives free.

 

One of the most important messages ADF hopes students will convey is that people can and do change. Whereas homosexual advocacy groups say that homosexuality is an immutable characteristic, like skin color, scientific research suggests that homosexual orientation is most likely due to the interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental/social factors. (See "Are people really born gay?") While not a "choice" in the conventional sense—like deciding which grocery store to go to—homosexual identity develops over time through a series of smaller choices made in reaction to environmental influences and experiences.

 

How we can have the most impact?

 

First of all, it’s important to be respectful to students, teachers and principals, no matter how rude the responses of others may be to your message. It’s also important to follow procedure. Pass out Day of Truth cards only during breaks, lunch hours or before and after school. Do not pass out cards during class time. It’s a good idea to check into your school's policy on literature distribution beforehand—you may need to get permission to pass out the Day of Truth cards and put up posters.  Don’t purposefully break the rules.

 

At the same time, it’s important to be aware of your legal rights. When schools sponsor pro-gay events like the Day of Silence—and then turn around and censor student-led events like the Day of Truth—that’s a classic case of viewpoint discrimination. If schools are opening their doors to the Day of Silence, then students’ with deeply held religious convictions can make the case that their views should equally respected—and also be given a place at the table. The bottom line is that freedom of speech should apply to everyone, not just selected groups of students.

 

Some people may falsely accuse Day of Truth participants of wanting to discriminate against gay people. Students who face those comments can calmly respond by explaining that they do not desire to hurt anyone and are opposed to any form of harassment against anyone—no matter who they are. At the same time, students of faith have the right to politely request that they in turn be given equal time and respect for their viewpoints, without facing harassment or censorship.

 

The good news is that students across the country are standing up for those rights—and they are succeeding. For example, in 2006, Benjamin Arthurs, a student at Midway High School in North Carolina, was suspended from school for distributing materials outside of class time during the Day of Truth event—even though students participating in the Day of Silence were permitted to observe that event. Arthurs sought help from the Alliance Defense Fund and won a settlement that made the school revise its unconstitutional policies prohibiting religious speech, events and T-shirts. The suspension was expunged from his record.

 

ADF hopes the Day of Truth will equip more students like Arthurs to tell the "rest of the story" and express their First Amendment rights. If you are a student and want to participate, be sure to visit the the Day of Truth Web site or call 1-800-Tell-ADF to register.  ADF has developed a training manual that assists students with every aspect of organizing and also has a team of attorneys standing by to help students whose legal rights are violated.

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