A day of silence

This year hundreds of thousands of students at schools and colleges across the country will participate in the National Day of Silence on Friday, April 25.

And so it's kind of ironic that I would run into an old friend from high school this past weekend and have the chance to reminisce about old friends - you know, who made it, who didn't, and who came out of the closet after graduation, etc. I have pretty fond memories of my high school years. I was pretty popular, and not picked on very much. Middle school had its ups and downs. There was more than one time that the f-word was slung my way. My town was not one to come out of the closet in. I remember one openly-gay guy who transferred into my high school, but didn't see him too often. He was sheltered in class and ate lunch alone every day in the guidance counselor's office for his personal safety. I never found out what happened to him. He transferred to another school after less than a year.

A 2005 study commissioned by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a leading gay-rights student organization, found that gay-bashing remains a major problem in the nation's schools. Seventy-five percent of students surveyed across America said that over the past year they heard derogatory remarks such as "faggot" or "dyke" frequently at school, and nearly 90 percent reported hearing "that's so gay" or "you're so gay" - meaning stupid or worthless - frequently.

The Day of Silence was created by University of Virginia student in 1996 and became a national event in 1997. GLSEN became the national sponsor in 2001. It serves as a way to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. This year's event will be held in memory of Lawrence King, the 15-year-old California student who was shot in the head last February while sitting in class, reportedly for being gay. King was taken off life support and pronounced dead on February 15, three days after the shooting. The eighth grader was killed by fellow classmate, 14-year-old Brandon McInerney. The senseless murder did not even get much media attention at the time - at least at the larger press outlets - until some prodding by smaller local news stations and writers.

Why? No one knows, but actions like these (as well as the actions leading up to these actions) need more national attention to ensure that our children are safe. As of press time, I could not confirm that any school in our area was officially participating at a school-wide level, but I urge you all to remain silent and remember the life of King and all the other lives that are currently at-risk in our communities' schools.

On Friday, students will hand out speaking cards with the following wording, provided by www.dayofsilence.org. "Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment . . . I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward building awareness and making a commitment to address these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today."

OUT & ABOUT

Saturday, April 26 - Careteam will hold its 13th Annual Dining with Friends from 8:30 p.m. - midnight Saturday at the Myrtle Beach Train Depot, located at 851 Broadway St. in downtown Myrtle Beach. Each year, supporters host dinner parties throughout our area earlier in the evening to raise awareness and financial support for people living with HIV. Following the dinner parties, everyone meets up at the M.B. Train Depot for the after-party. Careteam in the onlynon-profit HIV/AIDS service organization providing services to people living with HIV in Horry, Georgetown and Williamsburg counties. For more information about Careteam and their services call 236-9000 or visit www.careteamsc.org. Haven't been invited to a party yet? The local chapter of Prime Timers will host a dinner from 6 - 7:30 p.m. at The Center Project, located at 307 Highway 15 in downtown Myrtle Beach. Dinner is $5 a person. For more information call 626-4953.

Saturday, May 3 - Get out your prom gowns. Rainbow Beach, the youth group at TCP, is hosting their inaugural gay prom this spring on Saturday, May 3. This will be the first gay prom in Horry County and one of the very few in the Carolinas. For more information on how you can help or participate email Gloria Williams at gloria@thecenterproject.com or visit www.myspace.com_rainbowbeach. Rainbow Beach is a youth group for local gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning youths and their straight allies younger than 25. The group meets from 2-6 p.m. every Saturday at TCP.

Until next week, have fun and be safe.

-Chris Rudisill, Weekly Surge