UNC Mirror

Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Jade DeGood Lighting their candles at the candlelight ceremony held at the Garden Theatre, several UNC students commemorated those who died or were persecuted in hate crimes during the Day of Silence held on Friday.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students across campus took part in the Day of Silence on Friday. The day began at the University Center, where a booth was set up and red cards were handed out to students passing through.

"Please understand my reasons for not speaking today," the cards read. "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."

Some members of the booth were allowed to speak. One of which was Jordan Callier, a second year master's student of communication and graduate assistant to the GLBT Resource Office.

"It's supposed to represent those who have been silenced, either because of fear and oppression, or because they've been beaten or have died," Callier said. "Us being silent, we represent the plight that thousands of Americans and billions of people internationally go through in having to keep quiet about their sexuality and their gender."

This year's Day of Silence was held in memory of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old high school student from Oxnard, Cali. King was shot in the head by a student he had courted to be his Valentine.

Another participant who was allowed to speak was Bryan Morehouse, 20, of Greeley. Morehouse was a former student who was a victim of a hate crime.

"Last year, when I was a student here, people graffitied my dorm room door by carving the word 'fag' into it," Morehouse said. "I was upset, mainly because I was living in Webking, which is supposed to be more open about that sort of thing."

Corey Nunn, a sophomore math secondary education major, was one of the silent participants of the Day of Silence. Because he wouldn't speak, he wrote out his answers on paper.

"It's about the noise. It's a statement about discrimination and our silence is heard across campus," Nunn wrote, explaining the Day of Silence. "People see how others won't stand for oppression."

Continued...

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