The Day of Silence

"The National Day of Silence is a day of action in which students across the country vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools."
- dayofsilence.org/resources/

The actual Day of Silence is normally held in April; it has been this way since its founding in 1996. However, I only found out about it on the actual day, April 11; my mother brought me the pin I have attached to my jacket from school.
Since the first event at the University of Virginia in 1996, 8,000 schools- ranging from middle school to university -have held the Day of Silence. In the GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network), it's the largest student-led action toward creating safer schools for LGBT students. According to the website [see link], the purpose of the day is to bring attention to LGBT harassment and bullying, thus helping to make schools safer for students of all gender expressions and sexual orientations. You don't really have to be one of the community to participate; 'straight allies', i.e., heterosexuals who support LGBT rights, are an actual thing. And your support is welcome.
Students are advised to inform their teachers before doing this; thank you, Ms. Warren, for green-lighting my participation and suggesting that I write about it.
[Also, Laurel and I (we're doing this together) are creating index cards with information.]
There is symbolism behind the Day of Silence; the individuals who take the 24-hour vow of silence represent the thousands of LGBT people who are forced to remain silent about their sexuality because of overwhelming negativity. Fear, both due to the fact that 'oh no, they're different' and because they don't want to find out the reactions of friends and family, is the major suppressor. What if the people whom you love and trust reject you because you're not a heterosexual? Worrying about what the outcome of coming out would be doesn't help either.
Trust me. I've been there.
Luckily, there are people who support all of this, and that is why the Day of Silence came about. My mother, who gave me the idea in the first place, is OK with me doing this- just as long as my teachers know. The thousands of LGBT rights activists? Well, who else helps organize the event? They know what it's like to have to be silent because of an unsafe environment. The students? They wouldn't be doing this if they didn't support it. [Well, unless they're attempting to make a mockery of it, and that just makes them an incredibly rude word that I can't put on my blog.]
The symbolism behind the Day of Silence is a beautiful thing, and a lovely gesture of support to all of those who are silent.
So when I walk in communicating with a notepad? Now you know why.

Poem #4

L is life, for love in any form is a part of life.
O is for openness, the opening of heart and mind that is a mandated option.
V is for victory; for who doesn't feel a little victorious in winning and keeping someone's love?
E is for everyone, the vast multitudes who are encompassed in love's omnipotent embrace.

Poem # 3

Love has its strange quirks...
sometimes you wonder how you managed
to end up where you
are now in the
first place
or how you could be so
incredibly fortunate
to find
the person you did.
Sometimes
you have periods
of depression
where you wonder why that person
is putting up with you
and your moods.
But then a small thing will occur
and you remember that
you are loved
and needed
and you wonder why
you ever were depressed.
Love has its moods also.

Poem #2

Love comes in many different forms
and they don't have to be romantic.
Romance is not
the basis of love.
Love can be found in small
everyday actions.
Platonic love can be found
in the hugs friends give one another at lunch
the sharing of Oreos
the endless texts.
Familial love can be found
in the repeated ritual of saying goodnight
the brewing of tea for a cold
the affectionate teasing.
And a different form of affection
can be found
in giving someone a mix tape
of their favorite band.

Poem #1

Love

It's absolutely lovely
to meet you.
I adore punning.
Frankly
I adore many things. I am love
after all.
What is love? It possesses
many definitions
which are in essence all the same.
Romantic love is what I tend
to focus on.
When you truly love someone
you know you never wish to
let them go. You feel
complete whenever you sight them.
Gender composes no barriers here
for love is truly genderless.
Your loved one creates a feeling of
warmth
within your heart
a pleasant warmth you could hold onto
forever.
And many have tried
for love holds the fire
to overcome every challenge
if you can feed the flames within you.
And many have succeeded
for love is a beautiful essence no one wishes to lose.

"The Big B"- an article analysis

Is bisexuality an 'in-between state'? A 'phase'?
Well, it can be a passing fancy. Being bi-curious is not uncommon. But to answer the first question, no. The Huffington Post article "The Big B" by Kathryn Lamble backs this up with a lot of evidence. Ms. Lamble's opinion on bisexuality is clear from the very first sentence, and it's clear she believes that labels can be harmful and that society's view on non-heterosexual orientations should be much more accepting.
In her article, Ms. Lamble identifies herself as a bisexual woman currently in a relationship with another woman; this immediately shows her position on the LGBT community and on bisexuality in particular. She presents her ideas on bisexuality by talking about her experiences coming out and by mentioning bisexual celebrities; specifically Lady Gaga, Anna Paquin, Maria Bello, and Tom Daley. She also provides an interesting angle on the resentment/fear/confusion of being bi by talking about 'labels'- or terms that society has come up with for "knowing who is like us and who isn't", and talks about being labeled throughout her life. She concludes her article by saying that while anti-LGBT situations exist in other countries, people need to find similarities within their similarities to one another to change those situations.
Ms. Lamble uses different craft moods to convey her opinions. Her tone is familiar (she writes in the first person), and occasionally sarcastic and self-deprecating. She indirectly tells people struggling with labels (not necessarily about sexuality) to be brave, because she believes it's important to come to terms with who you are, and to not be ashamed. She doesn't really address the counterclaim until her conclusion, and even then it's referred to only briefly.
This is a very well-written article, and I'm of the same mind as Ms. Lamble. While the concept of dropping labels eludes me- I'm a teenager, and teenagers tend to label people a lot -I completely agree with her opinion on sexuality. There is nothing wrong with being bi*. Or lesbian. Or gay. Or transsexual. We should "unite under an identity that others seek to use as a pejorative", as Ms. Lamble says. If we can remove the negative connotations, it may become something to be proud of. And that's a great thing.

*I could go on about this for a while, and for personal reasons, but there's only so much space. I am considering making a separate blog about this, if I get permission.

Girls/Girls/Boys

The text I chose for my inquiry was the song 'Girls/Girls/Boys', by Panic! at the Disco. I decided to closely read the lyrics and see what the major and minor themes were, and I found that several intertwined. What themes could there be in this song?
Well, two major themes are love and acceptance, which really go hand-in-hand. In the song, love is the driving force behind the narrator's somewhat contradictory actions. He wants to protect his former girlfriend from people who might harm her ('But if you change your mind, you know where I am/Yeah, if you change your mind you know where to find me'); however, he's also in two minds about what she's done ('But I don't ever wanna be your boyfriend'). He cares about her a lot, going as far as defending her bisexuality ('Girls love girls and boys/And love is not a choice'). This is similar to real-life defense and support of the LGBT community, such as legalizing same-sex marriage.
This song could be the anthem for every bisexual woman across the world. Love isn't a choice, sexuality isn't a choice...this song portrays that through the narrator's thought processes.
The second major theme, acceptance, is also shown throughout the song. The narrator, despite his differing views on his girlfriend's choices, comes to accept the fact that she has a girlfriend ('They're close to finding out about your girlfriend...Girls love girls and boys'). He also accepts that love isn't a choice, due to his girlfriend's girlfriend and the fact that he's still in love with her (maybe because of their breakup).
Both of these themes are shown in the real world, especially on the topic of the LGBT community. Love within said community has been portrayed multiple times in the media (Cam and Mitchell on Modern Family, for example), and people are gradually coming to terms with it- an example of this is the seventeen states that have legalized same-sex marriage. However, others take a different view on the topic, such as the thirty-three states where non-heterosexual marriages are still illegal. A connection can be made to these states and the people persecuting the narrator's girlfriend ('They're close to finding out about your girlfriend').
Love isn't a choice, and that's a beautiful thing. If people would just realize that there's no stigma attached to not being straight, the theme of acceptance (if not necessarily love) would be widespread. We could learn to at least tolerate those who make different choices than us, like the narrator learns to.

Link to lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/panicatthedisco/girlsgirlsboys.html