On the National Day Of Silence hundreds of thousands of students nationwide take a vow of silence to draw attention to anti-gay name calling, bullying, and harrasment in their schools. It’s the largest student lead day of action in the country.
Not to be outdone, Focus on the Family has decided that it’s actually students who are opposed to the sexuality or gender identity of thier peers who are the victims, and need to be empowered to speak out. They’re currently promoting their response called the “Day of Dialogue.”
In many cases LGBT students, and the children of LGBT parents, can’t go a single day without being bullied, harassed, called names, or made to feel inferior. A genuine open dialogue about this problem is needed, one that addresses the reality that many of these children face.
What Focus On The Family is promoting is a tool set encouraging young people to tell their peers that they disagree with their sexuality or gender identity. Rather than acting in a spirit of goodwill towards their classmates, and working to erase bullying and harassment, the “Day of Dialogue” encourages a more subtle method of harassment.
In order for a true dialogue to occur, groups like Focus On The Family should encourage students to listen and understand instead of simply preaching at, and judging, their classmates.