Usually, Harriton’s hallways are bursting with noise and energy, but on Friday, April 11^th, things will be a little bit quieter for a good reason.

On this day, students here and across the nation will take a vow of silence to raise awareness about the oppression and silencing faced in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community.

Those who participate are given an opportunity to empathize with those being oppressed due to their sexual orientation.

“It allows participants to imagine themselves in the place of those who are being bullied, and observers to imagine a world without the voices of their peers,” said Grace Tang, a senior and the president of Harriton’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA).

The Gay-Straight Alliance has existed for 11 years at Harriton with the intention of carrying out this mission statement,

“The Harriton High School Gay-Straight Alliance strives to promote a positive environment for LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, etc.) youth and their allies by raising awareness of social issues.  We explore the role of the queer community in past, present, and future societal institutions through a variety of mediums (such as discussion, film, literature, etc.).”

With the guidance of Grace Tang and their advisor, Ms. Bold, the GSA has been very busy this year.  In October, they celebrated LGBT History Month by creating a display case in the hallway showing celebrities who play a significant role in LGBT identity and rights.

In January, the GSA teamed up with the Film-Photo Club to show the movie “RENT” after school, donating all of the proceeds to ActionAIDS, a non-profit that enhances quality of life for people affected by HIV/AIDS.  The next big event was their “Drag Extravaganza,” where they studied the bright world of drag kings and queens.

For this year’s Day of Silence, they decorated a display case outside of the Help Center to raise awareness for problems facing LGBT youth and promote the Day of Silence.

If Day of Silence is something you would like to participate in, “Everyone should feel welcome to participate in the Day of Silence and can sign up for Ms. Bold’s RAM under “Clubs” for Monday, April 7th to get on the approved list of students. GSA meets every Tuesday after school in room 247, and all are welcome!” Grace Tang says.

On Day of Silence, April 11^th, listen to the quieter hallways and take a moment or a whole day to think about the silencing effect of bullying that LGBT students face not only on the 11^th, but every day.