PRESS RELEASE:
BY PURDUE QUEER STUDENT UNION
STEWART CENTER ROOM G20
HTTP://WWW.PQSU.ORG
DATE: APRIL 15, 2008
PURDUE QUEER STUDENT UNION CELEBRATES NATIONAL DAY OF SILENCE
WEST LAFAYETTE: This year's National Day of Silence at Purdue University will be commemorated by the Purdue Queer Student Union on April 18. To raise awareness on campus, students will take a vow of silence from 6AM to 6PM. A “Breaking the Silence” event to formally end the Day of Silence will be held at Academy Park at 6PM.
The National Day of Silence is a nationwide, student-led event during which thousands of high schools and college bring attention to anti-LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) name-calling, bullying, and harassment in schools. The event is in its 12th year, and is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of participants this year nationwide.
The Day of Silence is the culmination of a month-long celebration of events in April called “GAYpril”, sponsored by the Purdue Queer Student Union (PQSU) and other organizations on campus. Other popular GAYpril events such as “Homo Estas”, “That's So Not Gay Forum”, and “Joto: Coming Out Latino” have also raised awareness of LGBT issues both on campus and in society.
“We are very excited about a high participation rate this year, based on the number of awareness materials and communication kits already passed out. This year's turnout will be a huge improvement over last year's event” explained outgoing PQSU President Andrew Stevens. The communication kits are to aid in explaining a person's vow of silence. Kits will be distributed throughout the day on Friday outside of Class of 1950 Lecture Hall. Explaining the motivation for a vow of silence, incoming PQSU President Clare Ford explained that
“It's difficult to work and learn in an environment where you must remain silent about much of your personal life. Through the National Day of Silence, students see first-hand the passive censure which occurs every day in a more direct manner.”
The GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) National School Climate Survey conducted in 2005 revealed that four out of five LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school and 29% report missing at least a day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety. This year's event is in memoriam of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old student who was shot and killed by a classmate because of King's sexual orientation and gender expression.
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