What to Say on the ‘Day of Silence’     4/8/2003
By Peter LaBarbera

Culture and Family Institute 'Talking Points,' April 8, 2003

The "Day of Silence Project," held this year on April 9, is an annual "direct action" project in which pro-homosexual activists seek to affirm homosexual, bisexual and "transgender" youth by symbolically imitating the "silence" these allegedly oppressed students face every day.

The premise of the Day of Silence Project is flawed. Although some students struggling with gender confusion and homosexual attractions endure a painful time growing up and are badly treated, few observers—even supporters of "gay rights"—would agree that homosexuals as a group are suffering in silence. To the contrary, many Americans view the homosexual lobby as a powerful, aggressive and vocal force in society, and are deeply concerned at the inroads it has made in the nation's schools. A recent poll of 1,200 parents found that by a margin of more than four to one, they disagree with teaching children that "homosexual love relationships" can be as satisfying as heterosexual relationships.

The controversial Day of Silence campaign is growing and ominous new evidence suggests it is even spreading to middle schools, thereby affecting sixth-grade boys and girls. In some cases, school administrators are participating with the students in this "gay" activist exercise and some are even allowing students to disrupt normal classroom activities.

The Day of Silence is sponsored in part by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, a homosexual pressure group that targets schools and schoolchildren. Participants pledge to mute themselves all day while passing out cards with this message:

Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. What are you going to do to end the silence? [Emphasis theirs]

The following are some talking points on the activist "Day of Silence," including actions that concerned parents and students can take to counter it:

It is preposterous to assert that homosexual and radical gender activists are "silenced" on high school and college campuses. The reality is that "gay" activists are often among the loudest — and most coddled — interest groups in many schools.

The students who are often "silenced" in school environments today are Christians, Orthodox Jews and others whose faith or moral belief system recognizes homosexual conduct as unnatural and immoral. These very students are further ostracized and alienated by "Day of Silence" activities, especially when school administrations tacitly recognize or, worse, openly endorse this activism.

'Day of Silence' activities promote the idea that homosexuality is normal, good and harmless. This may be the view of homosexual activists, but millions of parents and students disagree. School administrators should no more endorse "Day of Silence" activities than they would any other controversial political or social cause.

Students and parents may wish to take advantage of the "Day of Silence" by educating homosexual activists and their allies about the moral objections to homosexuality, bisexuality and gender confusion, and the risks associated with these lifestyles. An excellent report on the health risks associated with homosexual behavior can be found on Alliance Defense Fund's website at: http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/Lawrence_v_Texas/Lawrence_ChristianMedAssoc_USSCT_20030218.pdf.

Students might say something like this to their "silent" pro-"gay" friends at school:

"I agree that it's time to end the silence about homosexuality, which is an unsafe lifestyle. Did you know that sexually transmitted diseases like hepatitis, chlamydia, and HIV are contracted disproportionately by men practicing homosexual behavior? Did you know that the trauma caused by anal sex can lead to fecal incontinence and something called 'anal fissures'? Did you know that a recent study by the Georgetown University's School of Nursing and Health Studies found that one in five urban gay men is battered by his partner? Why would anyone promote this behavior as just another harmless lifestyle? God in His wisdom created healthy boundaries for sex—between a man and woman in marriage—and there are dire consequences when we cross those boundaries. And nobody has to be 'gay,' anyway. Many people who once thought they were 'gay' are now living happily as heterosexuals."

Parents should contact their local schools to ascertain if they are participating in Day of Silence activities. As the Pro-Family Law Center states, schools could face legal liability if they promote the Day of Silence Project. For more information on the potential legal liability of promoting homosexuality in schools, see the Citizens for Community Values website at www.ccv.org. (A list of participating "Day of Silence" schools, though hardly authoritative, is available on the Day of Silence website at: http://www.dayofsilence.org/iparticipants.html.

Regrettably, the 'Day of Silence' no longer guarantees a full day of silence for radical "gay" activists. After being silent at school, pro-homosexual activists across the country are planning "Breaking the Silence" events that will subject young people to yet another outpouring of homosexual activism.

The Day of Silence promotes the idea that students, even in middle school, should openly embrace homosexuality, bisexuality or transgenderism. Unfortunately, "gay" activists are all-too-often "silent" about the many health risks of these lifestyles, or the fact that these are not natural, fixed identities. For boys, the future health risks associated with homosexual behavior are so serious that they have cut short the lives of thousands of "gay" men. Also, thousands of men and women have left homosexuality, showing that homosexuality is not a permanent condition but a set of behaviors (and an identity) that can be changed. There has been far too much silence regarding these aspects of the homosexual debate.

Day of Silence organizers promote "gay" school legislation such as the Dignity for All Students Act in Florida, which threatens the freedom of students to disagree with homosexuality. "Sexual orientation" education bills advance "gay" activism in the classroom in the guise of tolerance. For a list of other reasons to oppose such measures, see the Culture & Family Institute paper, "15 Good Reasons to Oppose 'Sexual Orientation' (Homosexuality) Codes in Schools," available at www.cultureandfamily.org.

By spreading its pro-"gay" message to middle schools, pro-homosexual activists are helping to fuel the trend of young people "coming out" as "gay," lesbian, bisexual or "transgender" at very young ages—sometimes even before a child is out of puberty. This encourages youth to make uninformed decisions about sexual lifestyles and behaviors well in advance of their maturity to do so, and can set them on a course of conduct that could put them in harm's way. GLSEN itself has put children at risk by promoting dangerous "gay"-related behaviors, such as in March 2000 when GLSEN sponsored a Boston conference that included a "youth-only" workshop featuring a how-to discussion about "fisting" and other perversions.

GLSEN and Day of Silence organizers say they are promoting respect and tolerance, and fighting hateful speech. But GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings--who is on record defending the idea of "promoting homosexuality" in schools--has a record of making hateful and ugly comments about his opponents. In March 2000, speaking at a church in New York City, Jennings resorted to using a nasty expletive in responding to a question about religious conservatives:

Twenty percent of people are hard-core fair-minded [pro-homosexual] people. Twenty percent are hard-core [anti-homosexual] bigots. We need to ignore the hard-core bigots, get more of the hard-core fair-minded people to speak up, and we'll pull that 60 percent [of people in the middle] … over to our side. That's really what I think our strategy has to be. We have to quit being afraid of the religious right. We also have to quit — … I'm trying to find a way to say this. I'm trying not to say, '[F---] 'em!' which is what I want to say, because I don't care what they think! [audience laughter] Drop dead![for further information, see CFI paper, When Silence Would Have Been Golden at www.cultureandfamily.org]

The issue of "safe schools" should not be used to promote homosexuality and gender confusion among the young. Every school can make all its students safe without promoting anyone's agenda.

For more information on the homosexual agenda in schools, see the CFI papers by this author: "15 Good Reasons to Oppose 'Sexual Orientation' (Homosexuality) Codes in Schools," and "When Silence Would Have Been Golden," both available at www.cultureandfamily.org.

Peter LaBarbera is senior policy analyst at the Culture & Family Institute of Concerned Women for America, and editor of Culture and Family Report, available at www.cultureandfamily.org. He has closely monitored the pro-homosexual education movement over the last decade.

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