On April 21st, many Menchville High School students will participate in the national Day of Silence. On this day, students will choose to remain silent for the entire day in order to call attention to the silencing effect of LGBT discrimination and harassment.

Bullying and degrading of LGBT students in school can be a pressing issue. The Day of Silence was created and started in 1996 at the University of Virginia to spread awareness and promote peace and safety. Since then, it has become a national tradition in over 10,000 schools ranging from middle schools to colleges.

Menchville students plan to participate by wearing black and remaining silent, some even covering their mouths with duct tape. They will be carrying informative cards explaining the purpose behind their silence. Any and all students are encouraged to participate and can contact Mrs. Davies in room 117 for more information.

After the Day of Silence, the students will gather together at Todd Stadium with participants from other schools throughout Newport News for the “Breaking The Silence” rally. Together they will end their silence as a group and rejoice with festivities, friends and guest speakers for the rest of the day.