BSGE Students Participate in The Day of Silence
By Jolijt Tamanaha
On April 18th BSGE students participated in the Day of Silence. Some decided to stay quiet for the whole school day while others wore cards saying they supported it and yet others chose not to sign up. The Day of Silence has been a long tradition in our school, at least as long as a tradition could be in a young school. We have been participating for five years thanks to the Helping Hands staff from Peter Wilson's office. The Day of Silence is a nationwide event were students pledge to stay silent for the whole day. Silent meaning no communication including text messaging, hand signals and writing. This is to protest the discrimination in schools towards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender students. This day has proven to be very controversial among the parents. Please read my editorial on the bottom of the page
The History of the Day of Silence
By Kristen Spang
The Story Gay
By Anonymous
Why "Gay" Is Abused
By Jolijt Tamanaha
Last year I wrote an editorial explaining my point of view but this year I decided to point out what most of us do but have never noticed. The word “gay” is often abused. It has become a common word in our vocabulary and falls under what we consider an insult. “Oh that hair is so gay!” “Oh that movie was so gay!” What defines gay and who ever said it was an insult? If I were to say, “Oh that movie was so straight,” people would think I was on drugs. Being gay is just your sexual orientation not your personality and nothing makes something gay. I know a guy who’s gay and I’d have to say that he is one of the most amazing people I know. I would never define something as gay because it reminds me of him. I would also never consider gay an insult. My other friend used to say, “what was so homosexually oriented about that movie?” Of course, no one ever had an answer. Take it from someone who has had a slip of the tongue. Calling someone else gay doesn’t make me feel powerful, doesn’t make me feel good and it doesn’t make any sense. You see, I think everyone should feel safe in school and how can we achieve that goal when so many young people are afraid to reveal their sexual orientation. So I propose that next year, on the Day of Silence, we sign a contract and vow never to use “gay” as an insult ever again.
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