Yesterday at my school, we had a Day of Silence for those who have to stay silent due to lack of support and/or tolerance for their sexual orientation.
I don't support gay rights or any of that, but I do believe that the violence against them is extreme and should be stopped. Violence is a horrible way in dealing with something you do not support. But the Day of Silence still does not make me agree with gay rights. I believe it is morally wrong and that its not right. But that goes into a nature vs. nuture argument that I don't want to deal with.
On another note, I don't believe that the teachers and administration should be allowed to voice their opinion on the Day of Silence. Teachers should keep their opinions to themselves. Many high school students are naive and don't have an opinion. This makes them very vulnerable to the opinions of others. People should be able to make their own decisions and have all the facts on everything. Its not right for others to place what they believe on others.
Does anyone else think this way? They support what the Day of Silence means, but not entirely what its about?
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Oh Tegan, you would join me on the progregrssiveU site :]
[Krst]
It looked like an interesting site, I wanted to see what was on it
& so here I am, lolz
Tegan.
I don't support gay rights or any of that, but I do believe that the violence against them is extreme and should be stopped.
Do you realize that's one of our rights? You don't have to believe in "gay rights" to silently protest against the violence they face. How would a teacher voicing his or her support negatively influence someone. The most it could do is make a person think about how horrible violence is.
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
I'm gonna betch slap the dumb outta you
One of whose rights?
Well, I'm completely against teaches influencing kids politically as shown in my other blog on education... That's why I'm against my teacher doing so because she placed a big poster in the classroom about the Day of Silence and it just bothers me.
dún do bheal
You wrote the blog. _Meke quoted the section to which she was referring. It seems pretty clear that she meant that physical and psychological safety in schools is the right of every student, including the gay students who are, by your own admission, victims of violence at higher rates than other students.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I was making sure.
dún do bheal
I myself also do not in any way support so called "homosexual behavior" of any sort. However that does not mean that i cannot like or be friends with a person who is. But on the issue of the Day of Silence, I believe it should not happen in a government funded building due to the uncomfortableness that occurs for all students and most especially for those not participating in the Day of Silence. Silent Protest outside a sort of government building or something to make a stand is one thing, I don't support it, but we as Americans have the right to do so. As long as it does not happen during school hours in a setting where peer pressure already makes high school very difficult.
What would be wrong with students participating? It's their right, even in a school. They aren't disrupting anything and they are not forcing anyone else to participate. Feeling uncomfortable should not be a reason not to participate. What about kids whose religious beliefs and practices make others uncomfortable?
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
I'm gonna betch slap the dumb outta you
People that participate at our school give everyone else extremely rude and just plain nasty looks for not participating. Plus last year one student was even thrown into the lockers for not being a participant! That is not something that should be allowed to continue in a school setting.
Then the problem isn't with the Day of Silence, it's with unruly kids at your school. People participated at my high school and no one got hurt. And I would bet that at most school kids aren't violent when protesting.
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
I'm gonna betch slap the dumb outta you
Thank you, that was what I was also trying to say.
When the day of silence happened at my school, the teachers praised kids for participating. It made everyone else feel uncomfortable too...
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either way kids shoudn't be put in a situation where they have to give in to peer pressure and the violence and looks does happen. It's not right and parents pay school taxes not so that their kids can feel uncomfortable in this sort of school setting where 482 students don't feel comfortable enough to go to school and learn.
Perhaps your school specifically should not allow people to participate, although I don't see how it's possible to force people to speak. Other schools are perfectly capable of functioning while students participate. We can't remove everything that might make someone uncomfortable.
parents pay school taxes not so that their kids can feel uncomfortable in this sort of school setting where 482 students don't feel comfortable enough to go to school and learn.
Parents ALSO don't pay so their kids can feel comfortable. Maybe kids at your school are just behavior problems.
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
I'm gonna betch slap the dumb outta you
yeah thats good everyone at our school has behavior problems just because your not observant enough to see the effects of the day to others but urself. i watched how it affected those in support and against, and its not right!
So for one day a year 482 students feel uncomfortable? Man, that's really rough. I feel bad about that....really.
But what about the kids who feel uncomfortable (or harassed or beaten or sexually assaulted) all 180 days of the school year? It seems to me that your experience during Day of Silence was exactly the point the participants hoped to make. Think about it critically from another's point of view and you might learn something you didn't know before.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
If you don't support something, I don't understand why you would want to try and understand. Personally, my views are not going to change on this so why would I accept feeling uncomfortable?
dún do bheal
if you don't understand something, how can you intelligently come to a decision to support it, or not?
read my blogs!
ProU
Not ProU
Some mistakes can't be undone/ it'll never be like it was/ and wishing for it only makes it worse
Rocky Votolato
Understanding another person's point of view does not mean relinquishing your own.
And again, you felt uncomfortable for ONE DAY out of 180.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I have no idea what I said. It really made no sense.
You do have to understand something to be able to make a decision on it. I think I meant that I do not fully understand it, or something along those lines?
dún do bheal
But whoever is paying should ultimately be in charge of what goes on in schools.
dún do bheal
Schools are required to meet the educational needs of ALL students. GLBT students skip school at higher rates than other students due to feeling unsafe in school. In order to meet the needs of these students, schools must raise awareness of the abuse these students face. Their parents pay for the schools too.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
True. But I don't feel comfortable so my needs are not being met... And not just me, other students feel this way.
dún do bheal
You felt uncomfortable for one day. I'm sorry that I am unable to feel much sympathy for you.
The students have every right to speak or not speak on that day and every day. Unfortunately, many GLBT students have their rights to speak squashed every day of the school year. Read my blog called "The Beatdown: Edugaytion in America" for more information about the experience of GLBT students in schools. I'll even give you a link:
http://www.progressiveu.org/212900-beatdown-edugaytion-america
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
But kids at my school do not have their rights "squashed." I'm not saying everyone agrees with them, but it does not seem that GLBT students are made fun of. At least not to their faces or publically.
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It is difficult for a person who is not a member of that group to assess the level of threat they feel. An anonymous survey would probably be enlightening.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Honestly, people aren't against GLBT members at my school. You wouldn't know since you obviously do not go do my school.
dún do bheal
You are too evasive to have a productive discussion. Open up a little. It doesn't hurt.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I try to be open, but it never works out. I don't know why. I'll try though.
dún do bheal
edible women, ur not being open minded either, i sypathize for how gays are treated but i DO NOT support the behavior. i have to REALLY REALLY good friends who are lesbian and i love them to death, but i do not support their behavior. thats that, and they know how i feel about it. Its the same with smoking and doing drugs, i may not like what they're doing but it doesn't mean i dont like them but i will not in any way support their habit even if its being silent for a day bc they're treated bad for smoking and doing drugs.
The Day of Silence IS NOT about supporting the behavior of gays and lesbians. It's about supporting an END TO VIOLENCE against them. That is a HUGE difference. Do you think it's okay for gays and lesbians (including your two friends) to be victimized?
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
I'm gonna betch slap the dumb outta you
and tegan iz rad, u are trying to be open minded just like me, u obviously dont treat glbt's bad and your trying to seeing it from another viewpoint. but political beliefs ARE NOT TO BE FORCED OR OCCUR IN A SCHOOL SETTING. whatever happened to seperation of church and state. church is not just religion, which this clearly goes against religious beliefs
This is far from a violation of separation of church and state. Imagine for a second that we are not talking about DoS but about Christianity. Kids in school are allowed to wear crucifixes around their necks, have Christmas parties, get religious holidays off, not eat meat on Friday during lent (just like not talking on the DoS), say grace over their lunches, fast, any many other things that are religious in nature. Do you also think of these actions as a violation of church and state, or do you only care when people with beliefs other than your own exercise their rights?
which this clearly goes against religious beliefs
Whose beliefs? Yours, or the gay person sitting next to you whose right not to be victimized you don't support?
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
I'm gonna betch slap the dumb outta you
Well said, _Meke. I've lost my conviction with this one, but I appreciate that you stepped up.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
“I hope the departure is joyful and I hope never to return.” - Frida Kahlo
I'm gonna betch slap the dumb outta you
Thanks for backing me up. I liked your posts.
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