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Don’t walkout, walk along side and be a hero. Don’t preach at gay kids and call it conversation. Instead, walk along side and listen.

The Day of Silence is being observed on Friday, April 16 this year.

On the Day of Silence, many young people around the nation will remain silent at school in order to bring attention to name-calling, bullying and harassment of gay and lesbian students in schools. When other students ask about the reason for their silence, many will hand out a card with the following message:

Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence (DOS), a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by anti-LGBT bullying, name-calling and harassment. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward building awareness and making a commitment to address these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today.

DAY of SILENCE – What are you going to do to end the Silence?

We believe these students are asking for and should receive an answer to their question. We believe the answer should be a commitment to mutual respect and safety. The Golden Rule Pledge provides an way to communicate that pledge of respect. In reply to the question asked on the Day of Silence card, students can offer a verbal pledge to treat others with respect and/or a silent reply with a Golden Rule Pledge card.

Some Christian and conservative groups called for a boycott of the Day of Silence in 2008 and 2009, in some cases leading to loud protests. Many of the same groups are calling for a similar boycott this year. Still others are organizing what they call a “Day or Truth.” The DOT event seeks to inform gay students that Christianity does not approve of homosexual behavior via the wearing of T-shirts and passing out of cards. This year this event is being held on April 15, the day before the Day of Silence. We believe this event builds more walls than bridges.

We seek a different approach. The Golden Rule Pledgers will show up at school on both the 15th and 16th and live out the teaching of Christ to treat others as they want to be treated. Rather than engage in debates over beliefs about homosexuality, we advocate a pledge to live by the Golden Rule. This can be offered verbally and/or by giving out a Golden Rule Pledge card.

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