# AFA Condemns Day of Silence **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 11, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029 "2008-03-11T22:08:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/1 "2008-03-11T22:08:01Z")
Some of my “Christian” Internet acquaintances thought I should be warned about “the latest threat to Ameriucan values.” Accordingly, this, from the “American Family Association”: > [@](#): > > If your child’s school observes the homosexual sponsored “Day of Silence,” keep your child at home April 25. > Friday, April 25, several thousand schools across the nation will be observing “Day of Silence (DOS).” DOS is a nationwide push to promote the homosexual lifestyle in public schools. > > AFA is joining other family-oriented groups in urging parents to keep their children at home that day if their local school is participating in the DOS project. By remaining silent, the intent of the pro-homosexual students is to disrupt the classes while promoting the homosexual lifestyle. > > DOS is sponsored by an activist homosexual group, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). DOS leads the students to believe that every person who identifies as a homosexual, bisexual or cross-dresser is a victim of ongoing, unrelenting harassment and hate. Students are taught that homosexuality is a worthy lifestyle, homosexuality has few or no risks, and individuals are born homosexual and cannot change. Those who oppose such teaching are characterized as ignorant and hateful bigots. > > Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about the Day of Silence: > > Take Action! > > ``` > What should parents do? Check with your local school principal to see if your child's school will be participating in DOS. If the school is participating, notify other parents about DOS and ask them to join in keeping their children out of school on that day. > > ``` > > Here is a partial list of schools which are expected to participate in DOS: If your school is listed, call your local school and ascertain whether they officially or passively allow students to observe “Day of Silence.” If your school is listed, please double-check with your local school to see if the school is actually sponsoring DOS. Sometimes the “participation” turns out to be a handful of kids who are saying they have a homosexual club and are observing this protest day, but without school endorsement. We sincerely hope your school, if listed, is not actually an official sponsor. If it is not, we will take them off the list, if a school official asks us to do so. Please e-mail your correction to [webmaster@missionamerica.com](mailto:webmaster@missionamerica.com). > > Some tips: > > 1. Be sure of the date that DOS is planned for your school. (The national date is April 25, but some schools observe DOS on a different date.) > 2. Inform the school of your intention to keep your child home on that date and explain why. Click here for a sample letter. > 3. Explain to your children why you’re taking a stand: Homosexual behavior is not an innate identity; it is a sinful, unnatural and destructive behavior. No school should advance a physically, emotionally, and spiritually destructive sexual lifestyle to students. > 4. Encourage your church leadership to follow the bold example of Pastor Ken Hutcherson who is vocally opposing “Day of Silence” in his community in Redmond, Washington. For his story, click here. > 5. Schools do not have to tolerate students remaining silent in class. Schools can adopt policies that require parental consent for students to attend any club, including those premised on sexual orientation or gender identity. Click here for more information from Attorney Mat Staver with Liberty Counsel who provides free information to parents, students, and schools regarding their rights associated with noncompliance on the Day of Silence. > > Thank you for caring enough to get involved. If you feel our efforts are worthy of support, would you consider making a small tax-deductible contribution? Click here to make a donation. > > Sincerely, > > Don > > Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman American Family Association In contrast to Mr. Wildmon’s rhetoric, the actual Day of [Silence.org](http://Silence.org) website has this to say about its purpose: > [@](#): > > This year’s Day of Silence will be held in memory of Lawrence King, who friends say was murdered in a California school February 12 because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. The event brings attention to anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools. Students observe the day in silence to echo the silence LGBT and ally students face every day. > > On the heels of the Oxnard, CA murder of 8th grade student, Lawrence King, middle, high school and college campuses all over the country to be a little quieter. On Friday, April 25, 2008, students nationwide will be commemorating the 12th annual National Day of Silence. They will observe a daylong silence to protest the bullying, harassment and name-calling—in effect, the silencing—faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students and their allies in schools. > > While this silence is often times used metaphorically to symbolize students’ lives, experiences and histories being invisible, the murder of Lawrence King, which occurred at school, represents a literal and absolute definition of this silence. According to friends, Lawrence was killed because of his sexual orientation and gender expression. > > The Day of Silence, a project of GLSEN, will be held during school hours. Hundreds of thousands of students are expected to participate on April 25, many of whom will wear stickers and pass out ‘speaking cards’ that read: > > ``` > "Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. What are you going to do to end the silence?" > > ``` > > GLSEN’s 2005 National School Climate Survey found that more than 64% of LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school and 29% report missing at least a day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety. The Day of Silence is one way students and their allies are making anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and name-calling unacceptable in America’s schools. > > About the Day of Silence > The Day of Silence, a project of GLSEN, is a nationwide, student-led event during which thousands of high schools and colleges protest the oppression of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. Mr. Wildmon, an Alabama resident, is a former Methodist minister, I believe defrocked by the United Methodist Church, who has chosen to devote his time to denouncing such “evil” things as supposed subliminal sexual innuendoes in Disney cartoons, major corporations such as Ford for daring to give benefits to the family of GLBT employees, and other “major threats to American values.” His organization, which claims over 3,000,000 supporters (last time he quoted a figure, it was on the basis of hits to his website), formerly sponsored an “objective” news source called Agape Press. When that was publicly denounced, they changed its name, but not its slanted content, to One News Now. His organization has repeatedly misrepresented the actions and opinions of any person or institution that they have decided to oppose. (“Thou shalt not bear false witness.”) To that, they now add opposition to the bullying and killing of gay students. (“Thou shalt not kill.”) I look forward with interest to see which of the Ten Commandments he plans to break next. Mr. Wildmon, being as this is a Pit rant, I would tell you to eat shit. However, considering what comes out of your mouth, I believe that would be unnecessary advice. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/2 "2008-03-11T22:15:04Z")
It’s for schools to decide how to approach this, of course. A school can validly decide to permit this sort of thing, because it contains a valuable educational lesson. A school may also validly choose to forbid it, since having students remain silent even if called upon in class is certainly disruptive to the educational process. I don’t really see how being silent promots the “homosexual agenda,” however. ---
**Author:** ![Montgomery0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/0ea827/32.png) [@Montgomery0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montgomery0)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/3 "2008-03-11T22:23:14Z")
While I don’t agree with the reasons for him to condemn the “Day of Silence” I would prefer my schools to be free of such expressions. I am vehemently against prayer in school, even the thinly veiled “moments of silence,” so it would be hypocritical of me to think that having a “day of silence,” imposed on those who do not wish to participate, would be okay. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/4 "2008-03-11T22:34:10Z")
[QUOTE=Montgomery0] While I don’t agree with the reasons for him to condemn the “Day of Silence” I would prefer my schools to be free of such expressions. I am vehemently against prayer in school, even the thinly veiled “moments of silence,” so it would be hypocritical of me to think that having a “day of silence,” imposed on those who do not wish to participate, would be okay. [/QUOTE] Nothing is imposed on anyone. The Day of Silence is completely voluntary and is organized and run by students. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/5 "2008-03-11T22:42:27Z")
One of my personal favorites from the good ole AFA (through their [Onenewsnow.com](http://Onenewsnow.com) website) is that they are against Proctor and Gamble right now. The reason? P&G owns the soap opera As The World Turns and a gay couple has been added to the show. AFA stresses that they are NOT seeking a boycott (at this time) but wants to see how they respond to requests to drop the gay characters. According to the AFA, this would constitute staying neutral in the ‘culture war’. All the crap that goes on on soaps and they start complaining now because a gay couple kissed? Never mind that even they acknowledge that most of the letters of criticism that have been sent to the network want MORE affection between the gay couple. ---
**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/6 "2008-03-11T22:48:58Z")
[QUOTE=Bricker] I don’t really see how being silent promots the “homosexual agenda,” however. [/QUOTE] Presumably anything that attempts to stand in the way of good heteros kicking the crap out of the gays is considered “promoting the homosexual agenda.” How does this day of silence deal with class participation? I appreciate their cause, but it seems legitimately disruptive to me. On any normal day, I’d expect the teacher to send you to the principal’s office if you refused to speak when called upon, and now the teachers are being put in a position where they have to appear to take a political stand: if they throw the student out like they’d do any other day, they’re bigots, and if they let the student stay, that’s implicit support for the cause. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/7 "2008-03-11T22:52:16Z")
[QUOTE=ntucker] How does this day of silence deal with class participation? I appreciate their cause, but it seems legitimately disruptive to me. On any normal day, I’d expect the teacher to send you to the principal’s office if you refused to speak when called upon, and now the teachers are being put in a position where they have to appear to take a political stand: if they throw the student out like they’d do any other day, they’re bigots, and if they let the student stay, that’s implicit support for the cause. [/QUOTE] I agree that refusing to speak is disruptive. What they need to do is stay out of school, and accept whatever consequences occur. A large no-show would be a powerful statement. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/8 "2008-03-11T22:54:55Z")
Wild Man Wildmon needed to find a new traget, what with the conclusion of the AFA’s wildly successful two-year [Ford boycott](http://www.bostonherald.com/business/automotive/view.bg?articleid=1079584). The outcome of the boycott? > [@](#): > > “We are committed to treating everyone fairly and with respect, including our dealers, customers and employees,” the company said. “Ford will continue to market its products widely to attract as many customers as possible and make charitable contributions to strengthen communities to the extent business conditions allow.” > > This year Ford received its highest rating for gay-friendly policies from the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights organization, based on its anti-discrimination policies and health benefits for domestic partners. Yeah, the AFA really brought Ford to its knees. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/9 "2008-03-11T22:57:33Z")
If any of my students elect to take part, all they have to do is inform me the day before. I have no problem skipping over them for a day in any class participation function. I hope that is seen as implicit (and explicit) support for the cause. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/10 "2008-03-11T22:59:48Z")
[QUOTE=ntucker] Presumably anything that attempts to stand in the way of good heteros kicking the crap out of the gays is considered “promoting the homosexual agenda.” How does this day of silence deal with class participation? I appreciate their cause, but it seems legitimately disruptive to me. On any normal day, I’d expect the teacher to send you to the principal’s office if you refused to speak when called upon, and now the teachers are being put in a position where they have to appear to take a political stand: if they throw the student out like they’d do any other day, they’re bigots, and if they let the student stay, that’s implicit support for the cause. [/QUOTE] Boy scouts do it: This year, I had a student who, prior to his Eagle Scout Ceremony, had to observe a day of silence. He showed me a letter explaining to and I didn’t call on him that day. When they were working in groups on a analytical chart, he worked by himself, which worked fine. I don’t know if this was something only his troop does, but if it is standard, I suspect it’s allowed in most schools and that certainly takes the wind out the “too disruptive, can’t be allowed” idea. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/11 "2008-03-11T23:06:26Z")
I’d be impressed if these kids can manage it. I tried to go an entire day without speaking in high school and it was hard as hell! You’d need the school to be aware and teachers to be cooperative if you really want to pull this off. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/12 "2008-03-11T23:08:16Z")
[QUOTE=Ghanima] I’d be impressed if these kids can manage it. I tried to go an entire day without speaking in high school and it was hard as hell! You’d need the school to be aware and teachers to be cooperative if you really want to pull this off. [/QUOTE] This is the 12th year. I think they can manage. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Montgomery0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/0ea827/32.png) [@Montgomery0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montgomery0)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/13 "2008-03-11T23:12:02Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] Nothing is imposed on anyone. The Day of Silence is completely voluntary and is organized and run by students. [/QUOTE] No, nothing is imposed on anyone directly, but as his message was aimed at schools who “officially or passively allow students to observe the ‘Day of Silence,’” my opinion is that it is an implicit endorsement of said day. If the students do it all by themselves, hey what the hell can I do about it? Good on you. If schools are endorsing the project that would be crossing the line for me, almost as bad as if it were a “Hey let’s have a day of silence for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.” ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/14 "2008-03-11T23:19:56Z")
So, Wildmon is urging a counter-protest to the day of silence… by keeping the kids home. Well, if they’re not at school, then they sure as hell aren’t _speaking_ at school, so I guess this counts as implicit support of LGBT rights. Quck, somebody send Donald a pride t-shirt in thanks! ---
**Author:** ![pprgrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f6c823/32.png) [@pprgrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pprgrl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/15 "2008-03-11T23:43:46Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] I agree that refusing to speak is disruptive. What they need to do is stay out of school, and accept whatever consequences occur. A large no-show would be a powerful statement. [/QUOTE] Unfortunately, it’s not quite so simple as that. My 15-year-old cousin observed the day of silence in high school last year and will most likely do so again this year. She would not, however, have the option of staying home from school to protest. Her mother (along with the rest of the family) is rabidly homophobic and not only would not allow it, would probably ground said cousin for the rest of her natural for even suggesting such a thing. There is also the question of visibility - what’s going to draw more attention, a handful of students who aren’t in class for one day, or a handful who are silent, and have disrupt the class to show a card to the teachers & other students to explain the silence? I don’t know how it is elsewhere, but at her school all the kids who participate wear pride stuff - purple t-shirts and ribbons and rainbow bling out the wahoo. (My cousin gets her friends to bring stuff to school for her to wear). She reports that it’s pretty effective, overall. Lots of kids ask about whats going on, and she spends a lot of time in the days before and after talking about the event with other students. I don’t see how just staying home from school would raise the same sort of awareness. A large no-show might, as you said, have a big effect. But what happens at the typical school where only a handful of students choose to participate? Their absence would most likely go completely unnoticed, accomplishing nothing. I’m proud as hell of my cousin because she chooses to support her LGBT friends in this way, especially considering the risk she’s running given her mother’s attitude. ---
**Author:** ![aptronym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@aptronym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aptronym)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/16 "2008-03-11T23:57:46Z")
[QUOTE=ntucker] How does this day of silence deal with class participation? I appreciate their cause, but it seems legitimately disruptive to me. [/QUOTE] Why does this need to turn into a moral question with a universal answer? Each teacher in each school can decide whether silence is disruptive; teachers should discipline students as they see fit, and students should accept the punishment without complaining. People need to give up this ridiculous idea that you can protest legitimate causes using whatever means you want with zero repercussions. If you’re saving the baby seals and you trespass on private property, you _will get arrested for trespassing_. If you’re saving the unborn children and you chain yourself to an abortion clinic, you _will get arrested for disturbing the peace._ If you’re protesting unjust socioeconomic fiscal policies by the World Bank and throw a pie at a world leader, you _will get arrested for assault_. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/17 "2008-03-12T00:03:09Z")
[QUOTE=pprgrl] I’m proud as hell of my cousin because she chooses to support her LGBT friends in this way, especially considering the risk she’s running given her mother’s attitude. [/QUOTE] Without risk there is no sacrifice. I protested the Vietnam War by participating in silent vigils on campus during free time, even though the football players _et. al._ threatened us with violence, and marched in civil rights marches, even though my parents strongly disapproved. I was prepared to leave home if it came to that. If social change were easy, everyone would do it. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/18 "2008-03-12T00:09:55Z")
[QUOTE=Montgomery0] No, nothing is imposed on anyone directly, but as his message was aimed at schools who “officially or passively allow students to observe the ‘Day of Silence,’” my opinion is that it is an implicit endorsement of said day. If the students do it all by themselves, hey what the hell can I do about it? Good on you. If schools are endorsing the project that would be crossing the line for me, almost as bad as if it were a “Hey let’s have a day of silence for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.” [/QUOTE] When I honored my Eagle Scout’s wish to observe silence for a day, was that “passively endorsing” the boy scouts? This is an honest question. I can see that it’s not the school’s place to put up posters and make announcements, but if I know that I am going to have a lot of kids observing a day of silence and so I schedule an in-class essay just to avoid the issue, am I endorsing the day? What if I move a class competition that has candy as a prize from Yom Kippur to the day before? What if I know half the school will be out for Good Friday so I don’t schedule a major test for that day? I have done all these things, and I am totally secular, personally. I dunno. I think one can accomodate certain types of expression without endorsing them. The accusation of passive endorsement is moving too quickly towards forcing schools to actually forbid expression. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/19 "2008-03-12T00:13:33Z")
[QUOTE=aptronym] People need to give up this ridiculous idea that you can protest legitimate causes using whatever means you want with zero repercussions. If you’re saving the baby seals and you trespass on private property, you _will get arrested for trespassing_. If you’re saving the unborn children and you chain yourself to an abortion clinic, you _will get arrested for disturbing the peace._ If you’re protesting unjust socioeconomic fiscal policies by the World Bank and throw a pie at a world leader, you _will get arrested for assault_. [/QUOTE] I completely agree, and in fact, that’s part of the point of civil disobedience: when people actually see young protesters being fire-hosed and hauled off to jail, it makes a point. That said, as a classroom teacher, I don’t find individuals observing a day of silence to be particularly disruptive. I’d love to see the school with nothing more pressing than that to get your panties in a wad over. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029/20 "2008-03-12T00:20:19Z")
[QUOTE=ntucker] How does this day of silence deal with class participation? I appreciate their cause, but it seems legitimately disruptive to me. On any normal day, I’d expect the teacher to send you to the principal’s office if you refused to speak when called upon, and now the teachers are being put in a position where they have to appear to take a political stand: if they throw the student out like they’d do any other day, they’re bigots, and if they let the student stay, that’s implicit support for the cause. [/QUOTE] It seems to me, that when this came up last year, it was explicitly stated that particpation in class in response to direct questions by teachers was permitted…I can’t seem to find that in the FAQ, though, so I don’t know. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/afa-condemns-day-of-silence/441029.md?page=2)