Students in pursuit of change Silence speaks volumes against LGBT bullying

BY JESSICA JOHNSON-PETTY Asst A&E Editor

BY CHELBI MIMS

Features Editor

For an entire day of work and class, red duct tape stayed strapped across the mouths of the students, throughout the United States, who proved the impact of what being silent can do to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender GBT community and their allies as they challenge the campus to speak up.

Entering Founder’s Hall, you approached a table stationed that no one could miss. A red tablecloth covered the table that was ll of information about the day as representatives where there to inform all who inquired about the day.

“I wanted to put myself in the position of those who did not have a voice and still do not while being bullied, closeted and feeling they were alone. I wanted to experience their struggle and really feel their pain,” Dyamond Gleaves, sophomore psychology major, said.

To the left hung a banner that had photos of the campus LGBT community including their family and friends with duct tape across their mouths. Over 40 faces were on this banner causing people to stop look and read.

To the right of was a second table to deco- rate handkerchiefs. Each person was instructed to “be creative and design or destroy the handkerchief” in what ever manner they felt necessary. e message was to portray the message of anti-bullying and how the issue is signi cant to people it a ects. ese hankies where pinned to a clotheslines stretching between trees. e 32 blew in the wind representing each person a ected by the silence.

Each hankie stood for a color. A black for a victim lost, red for a person struggling with identity, white are for allies of LGBT and antibullying, yellow ew for the survivors organnization LGBT Bullying.

“I thought the event was important because it shows that everyone should be equal and not treated di erently. In America we honor diversity that’s why we are so powerful,” Jaiquann Beckham, junior education major, said.

One vocal ally, senior psychology major, TaRaja Davis, was the voice at the table while silent pledgers wrote on dry erase boards to communicate on the importance of they day and why they chose to participate.

Even though the table was hard to miss people would walk by, ignore the vocal allies and continue to stay silent about an issue that is prevalent in our society.