Bullying, harassment, and name-calling may seem a thing of the past, but hate, violence, and discrimination are still very much alive in many schools, and students who are perceived as "different" can become targets. Those who identify themselves as—or are believed by others to be—lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) are routinely subjected to harassment for nothing more than their sexuality or gender expression. Their allies may also find themselves victimized.

The Day of Silence is a youth-led effort to protest the hate, discrimination, and harassment that many LGBTQ and allied students face on a daily basis. April 17 marks the 13th annual National Day of Silence.

According to the 2005 National School Climate Survery, a study by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), two-thirds of LGBTQ students were the target of verbal harassment, 38 percent were physically harassed, and 18 percent were assaulted in the twelve months prior to the survey due to their sexual orientation. Youth who were not seen as "masculine" or "feminine" enough were also targets: 45 percent faced verbal harassment, 26 percent were physically harassed, and 12 percent were assaulted because of their gender expression. Youth who were harassed or assaulted were more likely to report missing at least one day of school in the thirty days prior to the survey due to fears for their safety. Fully two-thirds of youth who had faced physical assault based on sexual orientation, for example, said they had skipped school.

Led by GLSEN, students participating in the Day of Silence will hand out cards that read:

"Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by harassment, prejudice, and discrimination. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. What are you going to do to end the silence?"

For information on participation in the Day of Silence, visit http://www.dayofsilence.org

In support of the goals of the National Day of Silence, the NCTSN has compiled a list (see below) of helpful, supportive links for youth, parents and caregivers, mental health and child welfare professionals, and educators.

Trauma Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning Youth (PDF)
A part of NCTSN's efforts to promote culturally competent trauma-informed practices, this brief contains statistics regarding the LGBTQ community and provides treatment recommendations.

Culture and Trauma Teleconference Series: Culture and Trauma Teleconference Series: Trauma Among Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth (Audio file/PPT)
This March 22, 2007 presentation was the second in the NCTSN Culture and Trauma Teleconference Series. Presented by Heidi Stern-Ellis and Al Killen-Harvey, the objectives of this presentation are to:

1. Raise awareness about the degree of vulnerability to abuse and neglect that LGBT adolescents face.
2. Identify the stages of sexual identity development as it relates to LGBT youth.
3. Discuss various barriers (both on a micro and macro level) that LGBT adolescents face in coming to terms with their sexuality.
4. Provide concrete examples of interventions that can be made to assist LGBT youth in safely exploring their sexuality.

COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere)

• Tips for Making Classrooms Safer for Students with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Parents

Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)

• GLSEN Safe Space: A How-To Guide for Starting an Allies Program (PDF)
• Ten Things Educators Can Do...To Ensure That Their Classrooms Are Safe Spaces For ALL Students
• How Does Homophobia Hurt Us All?
  A list of scenarios prompting students to write a response on how homophobia impacts everyone.
• From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America (PDF)
  A survey of students and teachers assessing the school environment for students who are bullied or teased—especially GLBTQ students.

Mental Health America

• Bullying and Gay Youth: Fact Sheet

OutProud

• Making Colleges and Universities Safe for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Students and Staff and Making Schools Safe for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Students & Staff
  Overviews of what high schools, colleges, and universities can do to provide a safe and supportive environment for LGBTQ youth and adults.
• Road Blocks and Responses in Addressing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Issues: Responding to Resistance from Teachers, Administrators, Students and the Community
  A paper addressing issues of queer youth support and homophobia in school environments.

Advocates for Youth

• The Impact of Homophobia and Racism on GLBTQ Youth of Color (PDF)
  A fact sheet for youth workers.

Child Welfare League of America

• Best Practice Guidelines: Serving LGBT Youth In Out-Of-Home Care (PDF)
  Guidelines for child welfare and juvenile justice systems in serving LGBT youth in out-of-home care.
• The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth Support Project: Resources
  Training and technical assistance for providers and educators who support GLBT youth.

National Center for Cultural Competence

• Providing Services and Supports for Youth who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex or Two-Spirit (PDF)
  Advises providers on how to provide culturally and linguistically competent programs and services to this population.

Family Equality Council

• 52 ways to be OUTSpoken: A Once-a-Week Way to Advocate for Family Equality (PDF)
  A fact sheet suggesting ways to promote visibility and to advocate for social change for families with LGBTQ members and their allies.
• The Rainbow Report Card: Making Our Schools Safer and More Inclusive
  Interactive tool that generates custom recommendations to help families address issues of inclusion and equality in schools.
• Talking to Children About Our Families (PDF)
  A guide to helping LGBT parents talk to their children about their families in developmentally appropriate ways.

Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network

• Involved, Invisible, Ignored: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Parents and Their Children in Our Nation's K-12 Schools (PDF)
  A report documenting the experiences of parents and children with schools including parent involvement, parent-child discussions about school, negative experiences with schools, and school-based supports for GLBT parents and their children. Based on a survey of GLBT parents across the county,

Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders

• I'm Being Harassed at School? What Can I Do? (PDF)
  Steps that students who are being harassed in school can take to respond to their situation.

National Youth Advocacy Coalition

• Publications
  A variety of publications targeted to LGBTQ youth dealing with topics such as social justice, health, substance abuse, and culture.
• Youth Connections (PDF)
  Resources, hotlines, and organizations that provide support to LGBTQ youth.

Safe Schools Coalition

• Resources for GLBT Youth of Color
  Extensive listing of hotlines, websites, books, and articles.
• The Toolkit for LGBT and Ally College Students & Organizations
  Web-based toolkit for LGBT and ally campus groups. The toolkit provides access to hundreds of resources that can be used to strengthen, develop, support, and expand college and university organizations.

The Trevor Project

• A 24-hour, confidential, and toll-free suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth.
  Website
  Phone: 1-866-4-U-Trevor (1-866-488-7386)

COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere)

• COLAGE advocates for equality and justice for people with LGBT parents, and their families.

Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)

• GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & and Straight Education Network) is a national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for ALL students.

National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce

• The National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce?s mission is to build the grassroots power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

National Youth Advocacy Coalition

• The National Youth Advocacy Coalition is a social justice organization that advocates for and with young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) in an effort to end discrimination against these youth and to ensure their physical and emotional well well-being.

Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

• Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is a national non-nonprofit organization with more than 200,000 members and supporters and more than 500 affiliates in the United States.

Youth Guardian Services

• Youth Guardian Services is a youth-run non-nonprofit organization that provides support services on the Internet to GLBTQ and supportive youth.

YouthResource

• A website by and for GLBTQ youth, Youth Resource takes a holistic approach to sexual health and the exploration of issues of concern to GLBTQ youth.