Well as many people might know, yesterday was the National Day of Silence ([link]). This year it was dedicated to the memory of Lawrence King, a 15 year old kid shot to death on Valentine's Day 2008. He was allegedly killed by another male student whom he had given a valentine. So somehow the murderer learned that having another boy like you is so scary and terrible that you have no other recourse than to kill him. I wonder where he got that from? His family? His church?

And on that note, four years ago bigoted Christian students started an organization called Day of Truth, which like most conservative religious things is a euphemistic misnomer for something psychotic and hateful. And like most conservative religious people, they are protesting the Day of Silence but they have no idea what the hell it is or what it means. These idiots think it is a "politically correct" maneuver intended to force people to be silent about the issues, rather than its true purpose which is to call attention to the silence GLBT students already have to endure because of pervasive homophobia and anti-gay bullying in schools. The Day of Silence is about recognizing the silence that already exists so that one day we can end it.

So ironically as always, these Day of Truth assholes will show up Monday with a thinly veiled anti-gay message, wearing t-shirts that read "let's have an honest conversation about homosexuality." And just like the phrase "Day of Truth" is a misnomer, so is "honest conversation". Of course they have no intention of having anything remotely close to that - what they want is to shove their moronic superstitious beliefs in other people's faces and make GLBT students and their friends feel ashamed, alone and terrorized. Business as usual for anti-gay Christians, and funny because that's the whole reason the Day of Silence exists in the first place. (Rule number 48 in the manual on how to be a conservative Christian: help to continue the thing you claim to want to get rid of. Oy.)

Well I don't want to spend too much time on these yahoos, but being aware of their existence and the persistence of other homophobes is important because it reminds us what the Day of Silence is all about.

There are two components to it. There's the silence of course, which is meant to make us think about all those LGBT kids (and adults for that matter) who have to suffer in silence and fear, especially the ones who are hiding in the closet or living in dangerous environments. For some people, being discovered as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender can result in pain and loss - the loss of friends, family members, religious community, reputation, job, or even life. We must never forget that, especially those of us living in the liberal, urban bubbles like Madison, WI where we are tempted to think the world is becoming oh so much better for LGBT people. In some places it is. But not all places.

The second part of all this is where we break the silence. In Madison, middle and high school students from all over Wisconsin meet us college folks at the university, we march silently down State Street to the capitol building, and there on the steps we break the silence - which starts off with a lot of very cathartic screaming and roaring, followed by numerous speeches. I didn't make it this year, but I have in the past and I am always amazed at the courage and intelligence of these middle and high school kids, some from very small, very homophobic towns, who are able to get out in front of a crowd of people and deliver articulate, heartfelt speeches about their own experiences and the need to continue the struggle for tolerance and equality for all people.

Today I am encouraging anyone reading this to break the silence in whatever way they can. You can shout it from the rooftops that you are LGBT or a straight ally, and damn proud of it, that's one way. But I'd bet for most people that's not altogether feasible. Just remember that breaking the silence in small ways is just as powerful as doing it big and loud.

If you're straight, why not just do something positive, like write an on-line journal entry, or just say something supportive to a gay buddy of yours if you have one, or hell just give him a hug. Most of us queers do a fine job of handling the stress of bigotry on our own if we just know that our friends and family are there for us.

Or maybe you're a Christian who believes in equality - well those Day of Truth douchebags and others like them are always trying to pass themselves off as the exclusive representatives of all Christianity. Why not do something, no matter how small, to show that they don't speak for you? If you need some inspiration you can check out a great website here: [link]

You don't need to be a big activist to make a difference. Case in point: my best friend is heterosexual, and while he supports my rights and well-being, he hates politics and religion. He hates when I bitch about current events, which is often. He has no intention of writing an editorial or staging a protest. And I don't expect him to. What I expect him to do, which is what he's always done and what I love him for, is to drink beer with me, and go disc golfing, and watch me play video games, and force me to watch movies I haven't seen yet, and to tell me to stop making political art and "draw something cool".

But I do know that in the past, when other friends of his have made homophobic comments, he has been quick to say "hey, one of my best friends is gay". And that might seem small, but I feel that is one of the most important things people can do - stop the spread of homophobia in mundane conversations, because that is largely where intolerance is propagated. If everyone just did that little thing on a day-to-day basis when they encountered homophobia (and sexism, racism, and any other form of ignorance), I think it would have a greater impact on society than the grandiose efforts of all the activists and lobbyists in Washington.

And you never know who around you is secretly LGBT, and will be there to witness someone taking a small stand against ignorance. They might even be the person making the homophobic comment. It could make a lot of difference in someone's life, especially if they are accustomed to only hearing negative things about LGBT people.

Peace and love.

-Ryan