The Day of Silence is an annual protest organized by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, to protest the bullying of LGBTQ students in High Schools and college campuses across the country. The event, originally a grassroots effort started in 1996, was adopted by GLSEN in 2000 and in 2013 the 18th Day of Silence falls on today’s date, April 19th.
Unfortunately, here in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, this week is April vacation, so either the day will not be observed or will be rescheduled to a time when classes are in session. Either way a feeling of national solidarity will be lost, which is too bad, because this event could serve as a powerful statement in some schools where bullying is a potential issue.
LGBT students are at risk for bullying. Bullying Statistics.org reports that “about 9 out of 10 LGBT teens have reported being bullied at school within the past year because of their sexual orientation,” “gay and lesbian teens are two to three times as more likely to commit teen suicide than other youths” and “about 30 percent of all completed suicides have been related to sexual identity crisis.” These numbers are shocking and should serve as a call to arms.
However, several groups on the religious right have decided that it’s not the rights of LGBT students to live lives free of bullying that we should be concerned with. We should instead be concerned with the rights of Christian students who wish to proselytize to their LGBTQ classmates. The argument is made that a Christian student’s right to tell an LGBTQ student that they are going to Hell trumps an LGBTQ student’s right to live a life free of such abuse.
This is the same tactic used to oppose marriage equality on the grounds of religious freedom. It’s not about the rights of same-sex couples to marry, it’s about the religious right to discriminate against same-sex couples. In the case of school bullying, it’s not about an LGBTQ students right to feel safe and unmolested, it’s about a religious student’s right to express their disapproval of the LGBTQ student through taunts, intimidation and yes, hate speech.
Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute has said about the Day of Silence in her state, “The means by which [GLSEN seeks] to end bullying is to eradicate conservative moral beliefs about homosexuality or to make it socially impossible to express them. That’s what people need to understand. This isn’t centrally about bullying.” Of course, Laurie Higgins is wrong: the Day of Silence is all about calling attention to the problem of bullying and raising awareness about the issue. (In the interest of full disclosure I should point out that Laurie Higgins protested a talk by my niece Jessica Ahlquist when she went to Illinois to talk at three High Schools there about being bullied as an atheist in the wake of the Cranston prayer banner decision.)
In our own backyard, MassResistance, the anti-LGBTQ hate group and founding member of the anti-marriage equality Faith Alliance has come out strong against the Day of Silence, even as they admit that “School districts in Massachusetts and other states have their spring school vacations this week” suggesting that those interested in getting angry about this issue “check with your school as soon as possible.“
In concert with 34 groups, including the aforementioned Illinois Family Institute, MassResistance is suggesting to parents opposed to preventing the bullying of LGBTQ students to “Keep your kids home that day!”
When you have to work that hard at hating people, it almost seems not worth it.
The idea of twisting freedom of religion into the freedom to discriminate may seem compelling to the unreflective when it is about the right of photographers to discriminate against same-sex couples getting married or the right of pharmacists to deny women birth control if it violates their conscience, but it seriously breaks down when we talk about the rights of bullies to drive LGBTQ kids to suicide.
Suddenly the betrayal of logic that might seem peculiar, strange or even humorous becomes destructive and deadly to our children. It is well past the time that we call those who peddle such views on their bullshit and start understanding what religious liberty really is.
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Upfront let me say that I am proud to be an uncle to the amazing Jessica Ahlquist, the student who two days ago won her case against the City of Cranston over an unconstitutional “prayer banner” on display at her school. It was not only a victory for Jessica, but a victory for everyone in this country who values the Constitution, freedom of conscience, and our secular society. Founder Roger Williams based the government of Rhode Island on these principles, establishing the first secular government in history and the freest land in the world at the time.
From time to time, of course, we need reminding of our history and of the importance of our Constitutional rights, and Jessica did so with a grace and poise not often found in people well older than her.
That’s why it’s so difficult to talk about the threats and cyber-bullying that she has been exposed to since the verdict came down. One website provided a long list of screenshots of these, and they are truly deplorable.
“shes not human shes garbage”
“I think everyone should just fight this girl”
“I’ll drop anchor on her face”
“Let’s all jump that girl who did the banner”
“When I take over the world I’m going to do a holacaust to all the atheists”
“i cant wait to hear about you getting curb stomped”
“everyone is going to beat you up prob”
“what a little bitch lol I wanna snuff her”
This from people defending a Christian Prayer on the wall of a public school. A prayer that says, in part:
“Help us to be good sports and smile when we lose as well as when we win,”
That’s irony.
To the credit of the Cranston School Committee, when I contacted them with my concerns, they were quick to assure me that the Cranston Police have been investigating these threats since last night, and that they are taking this issue very seriously.
Cranston School Committee Chairperson Andrea Iannazzi admits being troubled by what she has seen but “will not break confidentiality by discussing students behavior or discipline…” Which is fine, because most of this bullying behavior and threats come from minors, and as long as appropriate action is taking place, all should be well. Also responding were Steve Bloom, Frank Lombardi, and committee member McFarland. Cranston Superintendent of Schools Nero is aware of the situation, as is Assistant Superintendent Judy Lundsten.
As a parent, an uncle, and a citizen of Rhode Island, I am glad that the situation is being addressed in a forthright and professional manner. Title 16-21, concerning the Health and Safety of Students, defines bullying as “the use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof directed at a student that… places the student in reasonable fear of harm to himself/herself…” or “creates an intimidating, threatening, hostile, or abusive educational environment for the student…”
As an atheist Jessica is part of a minority that is currently under attack at her school. If she were black, Jewish or gay there would be a huge outcry against her being treated in this manner. Given that our society is, at its best, concerned with the health and safety of all our children, I am pleased by the prompt action Cranston city officials seem to be taking.
]]>Update 2:00 PM:
The Providence Journal has picked up the story from Rhode Island’s Future here.