Just out., May 07, 2004, Page 19, Image 19

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hey spoke for themselves—-or, rather,
their note cards did. Students across
the nation who participated in the
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education
Networks Day o f Silence took nine-
hour vows of silence April 21 to protest the silenced
voices of queer youth because o f prejudice, discrim­
ination and harassment in schools.
W hen spoken to, they would simply hand the
person a note explaining the purpose behind their
silence. T h e end o f the note dares the reader by ask­
ing, “W hat are you going to do to end the silence?”
In Oregon, more than 50 high schools answered
B reaking
the
PHOTOS BY
T
^unew s
S ilence
Students take action to combat harassment in schools
by Adina Lepp
that question with their actions of silence. T h e col­
lective exhale was signified with the second annual
Night of Noise rally presented by Basic Rights O re­
gon's Youth A ction Caucus. It is the only public
queer event in Portland organized and led by youth.
An estimated record 3 0 0 ,0 0 0 students from more than 3 ,0 0 0 K-12 schools, colleges and
universities in all 5 0 states participated in this year’s Day of Silence
After the school day ended, more than 150
youth shuffled into Pioneer Courthouse Square,
breaking their silence to the tunes o f T h e Discords,
a Cleveland rock band. T h e trio’s melodic muses
made the cautious, swelling crowd start swaying.
Organizers and volunteers stood behind tables
representing BRO , Planned Parenthood and other
groups, while milling students grabbed for candy
and stickers. G LSEN representative Larry Sm ith
tied white balloons to the wrists o f the wandenng as
a symbol o f the fight for marriage equality.
David Wright, a graduate o f Thomas Edison
High School, ran around the square pinning white
ribbons on the shirts o f anyone who would let him.
In between pinning, he would dance and shout,
routinely announcing, ‘T h is is my song.” Techno
house music poured exit into the square as poets and
singers took to the stage.
Talking on a cell phone just behind the stage
was M ultnom ah C ounty C hair D iane Linn.
A leader in the battle for same-sex marriage, she
spoke concisely, admitting that she feared boring
the anxious crowd.
B R O executive director Roey Thorpe also
addressed equality. Speakers were broken up by
poets and singers, many times unifying the swarm­
ing clusters in the square.
T h e issue o f harassment in schools was brought
up repeatedly, as many of the participants were stu­
dents who continually face discrimination. Seven
tattered biker kids took an active role in the rally
Roger S. Wert (left, with Blaine Reposa) serves
as political outreach coordinator for Portland
State University Queers and Allies
when they organized and taught the crowd how to
play “Bombs and Shields.”
T h e spontaneous, celebratory nature o f the
event was overshadowed at times by the implica­
tions behind forced silence. “It makes you think.
I've never been quite aware o f how much 1 wasn’t
able to say about my sexuality. It makes you think of
all o f the people who are forced into silence because
o f unpopular opinions,” said Andrew Lapato, a
sophomore at Pacific University in Forest Grove.
T h e students’ demonstration seemed to serve as
a reminder to the schools and community that
there are people who are forced into silence every
day. These people filled the square with cheers as a
student proposed to her girlfriend o f 1 1/2 months.
T h e music of Queen echoed across downtown as
everyone broke our in song, mouthing the words to
“Bohemian Rhapsody.” T h e eruption o f noise was
clear, even if the lyrics weren’t. | H
A dina L epp has bee n spotted contem plating the end o f
high school over lengthy gam es o f Scrabble coupled with
multiple cups o f black tea.