On Friday April 19th students at South will have the opportunity to show their support for the LGBT community by participating in the National Day of Silence. What began as the University of Virginia’s attempt at symbolizing the silencing of LGBT students in 1996 has now culminated in the largest single student-initiated protest of LGBT harassment, with more than 8,000 schools participating each year.

To demonstrate solidarity with their peers, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, students choose to wear purple ribbons that designate support, or rainbow ribbons that designate their participation in day-long, symbolic vows of silence.

This year marks the GSA’s third annual Day of Silence and the club expects to continue its tradition of garnering enthusiastic support from the Eagle community. President Annabel Lamb has witnessed the event’s key role in initiating South’s evolution towards a more open-minded environment. “Since I’ve been involved in the GSA from the time of its inception, I was able to see —with much joy—how taken, tolerant, and willing the students of South were when presented with the Day of Silence. A welcoming community was created, leaving the student population feeling closer to one another, and bringing our school one step closer to toleration and acceptance.”

The Day of Silence has become an ideal means of fostering an all-encompassing sense of both awareness and acceptance at South. Students interested in participating on April 19th can see a GSA member for a purple or rainbow ribbon.