Raise Awareness with Silence

Started by students in 1996, the Day of Silence gives youth an opportunity to make a difference in their schools by raising awareness about anti-LGBT bullying and promoting a culture of respect.

For weeks before the event, students invite their peers to participate and hold planning meetings. Many conclude the day with an emotional "breaking the silence" event where participants share what they learned and experienced.

This year, students in every state, the District of Columbia, and nearly 60 countries are participating in events at their school for the Day of Silence!

Today, the Johnson family from the documentary Bully are in Washington, DC with GLSEN to advocate for safe schools protections including a meeting with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. GLSEN and the Johnsons will be a part of a White House screening of Bully.

Join us in the action! We invite you to follow our blog – blog.glsen.org – as we post student stories and messages from supporters throughout the day.

Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #DayOfSilence and following @glsen!

And if you haven’t already, send a note of encouragement to students participating in Day of Silence. Some of them face opposition from schools, peers, or outside groups and your encouragement means the world to them.

At GLSEN, we’re impressed by the hundreds of thousands of students who are participating in Day of Silence to help make schools safe for all students. Together, we’ll keep working until that’s a reality!