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

Synthesis Page: The Stolen Party

The Stolen Party falls under the category of XYZ short stories. While there are many themes to be noticed on the surface, reading between the lines reveals even more.
One theme is naivete. Rosaura's naivete in believing that the occupants of the 'big house' view her as a friend is the most obvious; she doesn't seem to realize she's being deceived until the very end. Her persistence in trying to see the good in other people renders her blind to the fact that they only see her as someone of a lower class. Likewise, Senora Ines' naivete lies in believing that Rosaura knows her place in society, and that she volunteers to work at the party because of this. Her naivete, like Rosaura's, is shattered when she attempts to pay Rosaura for her efforts.
Another theme is power and resistance, which occurs multiple times throughout the story. In the beginning, Rosaura resists her mother's power over her when she states that she's going to Luciana's birthday; her mother attempts to reassert her power, but eventually gives in. During the party, Rosaura has power over the other guests when she hands out slices of cake; she gives out "the biggest pieces" to the people she likes, and "a slice so thin one could see through it" to a girl she argued with. Senora Ines also has some power during the party when she asks Rosaura to help her; she indirectly asserts her authority. At the end of the story, Rosaura resists both the power of Senora Ines and the power of social class when she refuses to accept payment from the senora.
A third theme, similar to naivete, is deception. When Rosaura goes to the party, she is deceived by the behavior of Luciana's family into thinking that she is viewed as a friend. Her naivete in believing the deception lasts until the last few paragraphs of the story. The magician hired for the party also has some deceptions of his own. With his card tricks, and making the monkey disappear, he is convincing people into believing the untrue. This is similar to the deception Rosaura falls for; both appear to be good things but in reality are no more than smoke and mirrors.

Image four

http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/egal/egal1210/egal121000036/15970979-autumn-falling-leaves-isolated-on-white-background.jpg 

  Falling leaves make me think of how little control we actually have over some aspects of life. In autumn, leaves naturally start to change color and detach from their trees; people naturally start to change as they get older, both physically and mentally. Like the falling leaves, we can't control how we change. It's a response to our environment. Teenagers especially are easier to represent with this metaphor, because teen years are when you go through puberty; something you have no control over. Appearances begin to change as hormones activate and deactivate; this is similar to leaves shifting color as chlorophyll shuts down, depriving them of the greenish shades normally present.

Sometimes you can't control what goes on in your thoughts, like who you like. That just seems to happen without warning. While this doesn't exactly happen with leaves, it's an involuntary response.

If leaves could 'control' how they shifted colors, and people could 'control' what goes on with their bodies and minds, life would start to become predictable. Some of the beauty in autumn lies in seeing what colors the leaves end up being, and the beauty in life is that it takes its own course with everyone- just like every tree's leaves fall at their own pace.

Best Books of 2013

While there was quite a lot of good literature published in 2013, three books stood out to me. These books made the list because they contain good plots, unique writing styles, and they're overall good books.
1. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. This book is written from the changing points of view of the wife and four daughters of a Protestant minister who travel to the Congo in 1959 as missionaries. Each of the narrators change through the course of the book (which spans thirty years), learning to accept differing religions and viewpoints based on their own decisions. Aside from character growth, there is an unexpected plot twist at the end which throws everything into a new light. A good plot is another reason why I enjoy this book.
2. Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer. The final book of the Artemis Fowl series comes with as many plot twists and unexpected happenings as the previous seven, but this is the book where human protagonist Artemis really changes the most in terms of character growth. When megalomaniac pixie Opal Koboi once again tries to destroy the fairy world, Artemis's plan involves himself making a huge sacrifice to save his friends- something he wouldn't have done previously without pressure from others. This shows how much his compassion for his friends and family has increased, which is a major change from the rather cold and emotionless boy before. The Last Guardian is written in Colfer's witty style, another reason why I enjoy this series.
3. The House of Hades by Rick Riordan. This book is witty, it is emotional, and sometimes downright hilarious. Picking up from the cliffhanger in The Mark of Athena, the crew of the Argo II are traveling to meet Percy and Annabeth at the Doors of Death- but not without some delays on both sides. The main reason I like this book is because of the changing relationships. First between Percy and Nico, which affects how the other characters see him (Nico), and the second between Leo and Calypso (this is a very sweet one because they actually are very similar). Hazel's acceptance of her half-brother and friend despite these relationships also shows that everyone should be given a chance, which is one of the underlying themes throughout both the Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series.
All in all, these were some of my favorite books of 2013. They all have similar themes of acceptance, and the unique ways the authors chronicled the growth of their protagonists added to the good plots and made these books special.