The Off-Campus Day of Silence

GLSEN’s Day of Silence has always been a powerful event for me. Since I was 12, I felt as if there was knowledge to spread. My brother has high-functioning Autism and I created a support group for those siblings who needed someone to talk to. From there it expanded to teen violence, racism towards biracial people, like myself, and beyond. I had always wanted to raise awareness of the troubling issues that diverse communities face.

I moved to San Diego from Ventura County in 7th grade and transferred out of public school to be homeschooled afterwards while my mom was going through her breast cancer treatment. During this time, my classmates from Ventura were part of this thing called a Gay-Straight Alliance and participating in something called the Day of Silence. I didn't know anything about the LGBT community except from the occasional poorly-portrayed gay character on TV. All I knew was I had to be a part of this day.

I read the info on the event invite and decided to put it in motion. Only problem? The projected audience was a school, and I wasn't in public school. So I took it to the next level and brought the Day of Silence out to the community.

My mom and I were running errands and started off with the overcrowded post office. At the time, I didn't have the resources that GLSEN provides. Instead, I improvised. I wrote up some information about tragic events that occurred around the nation, including the murder of Matthew Shepard, and explained my reasons for taking a symbolic vow of silence. I would carry this note around with me all day.

At the post office, a woman attempted small talk with me and I took out my note. She tilted her head to the side as she read the note. Then came the gasp, and her hand covered her mouth. She apologized and thanked me. I put my hand on her shoulder and nodded.

The day was filled with shock from passersby and by the end of it, I felt accomplished. I took the Day of Silence beyond school and brought it to the community. And by doing so, I raised awareness of anti-LGBT harassment that takes place every day.

Ari Segla is a GLSEN Student Ambassador.