Campus was a little quieter Wednesday thanks to TCU’s second annual National Day of Silence.According to the Web site www.dayofsilence.org, the National Day of Silence is a student-led day of action designed to create awareness of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and other victims of hate crimes.
The National Day of Silence began in 1996 and has grown over the past 10 years.
The TCU chapter of the Gay-Straight Alliance organized TCU’s participation in the event, which included visual displays such as signs and posters at tables around campus.
GSA members took a vow of silence for the day and wore black strips of cloth over their mouths, signifying the unheard voices of hate crime victims.
Rob Grebel, a junior political science major and member of GSA, took a vow of silence for the day.
“We are able to highlight injustice and help correct it through education and action, and also provide a safe haven and support for anyone who has suffered from injustice because of their sexuality,” Grebel said.
Courtney Goode, a sophomore economics major, has been a member of GSA since her freshman year.
Goode said she is a part of GSA because she feels that if one segment of our society is oppressed, then everyone is affected. She said we all depend on each other and therefore, we all need to accept each other’s differences.
“I hear a lot of people say things like ‘oh, that’s gay,’ without realizing they are perpetuating hate,” Goode said. “It’s because of those comments that people live in fear of being who they really are.”
The vow of silence ended during the “Breaking the Silence” concert and Rainbow Carnaval at Frog Fountain. Other student organizations were encouraged to attend and set up booths. Frogs for Fair Trade, Wesley Foundation and TCU Allies were several of the organizations that participated in the event.
Jessica Fleming, a junior radio-TV-film major and GSA president, helped to organize the Day of Silence.
Fleming said events such as the National Day of Silence are important to the TCU community.
“TCU should be exposed to events like this because this school is making future community leaders,” Fleming said. “We need to get in people’s faces and let them know things like this are out there.
