Day Of Silence

The National Day of Silence is a grassroots project of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The annual observance is a silent protest against the harassment and bullying of gay and lesbian students in schools. In 2009, it falls on April 17.

The 2009 observance of the Day of Silence is being informally held in honor of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, an 11-year-old Massachusetts boy who committed suicide after becoming the persistent subject of anti-gay taunts, despite the fact that he himself did not identify as gay.Gather: Day of Silence in honor of Carl Walker-Hoover (April 15, 2009) GLSEN: 11-Year-Old Hangs Himself after Anti-Gay Bullying (April 9, 2009) Walker's body was found hanging from an extension chord in his home on April 6, 2009. His twelfth birthday would have fallen on April 17.GLSEN: 11-Year-Old Hangs Himself after Anti-Gay Bullying (April 9, 2009)

The American Family Association and a number of other conservative organizations oppose the Day Of Silence, saying that it promotes homosexuality. Some groups have urged parents to boycott the Day of Silence by keeping their children home from school.

2009's year's Day of Silence was held in memory of Lawrence King, an eighth grader who was shot in school after he asked fellow student Brandon McInerney to a Valentines Day dance.