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`The Day of Silence is a day to recognize the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered) community and their efforts to prevent harassment towards individuals around the country. Millersville took part in the event this year, with an outpour of support from many students on campus. This effort taken by young people from all over the nation has helped many young Americans understand how it feels to be shunned or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or lifestyle.
On campus, an event hosted by Allies called Silencing the Hate Week was an effort to help anyone who has ever been victimized or oppressed to feel empowered by having the support of others. The purpose of the event was to bring awareness to issues that the LGBT community fights every day. Most are forced to be silent because they can not express themselves without being judged or treated unfairly. Silencing the Hate Week was designed to extend beyond the issue of homosexuality. Anyone who has ever been discriminated against, bullied racially or ethnically, or in any other form was urged to participate. Ashe Mclaughlin, president of Allies, said that, “Everyone is oppressed and everyone is an oppressor.”
Being well versed on the issue of discrimination, McLaughlin said, “I was able to speak to others without speaking.” The event got a lot of people involved because all they had to do was be silent for an entire day; a hard task for most, but given the personal reward of knowing you stood for something bigger than you, it came with ease for many.
A lot of planning went into Silencing the Hate Week. Allies reached out to about 12 different on-campus groups to help support anti-discrimination.
The Allies organization ordered over 1,000 t-shirts which were distributed over four days. The shirts were designed for an “I am” statement to be written on a blank line. Everyone was instructed to wear them on Thursday to signify a united front against discrimination.
To end Silencing the Hate Week, a rally was held in the quad called the Breaking the Silence Rally. To break the day of silence everyone screamed “Love!” The high level of empathy encircling campus last week was the aim for Silencing the Hate Week, and will be the aim of the event in years to come.