International Day of (No) Silence

Queer lives are more important than “parental rights”

Image created by author on Canva — (original Day of Silence logo created by GLSEN)

What is it?

The Day of NO Silence is a nationally-recognized student-led demonstration where LGBTQ+ students and allies all around the world protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of 2s+LGBTQ people in schools.

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Queer erasure

By wanting anyone who doesn’t conform to the cis-het ‘norm’ to keep their existence quiet, those in the “parental rights” movement are committing a type of psychological violence against the LGBTQ community. Bigots are trying to erase the existence of queer people from popular culture, media, and education.

When we do this, a number of harms are perpetrated against an already marginalized and at-risk group. Focusing specifically on queer youth (because the Day of Silence is about student and human rights), students do not see themselves represented in the lessons, literature, and academic materials provided in schools.

This means queer youth are denied their right to appropriate and relevant developmental and sexual health education.