Since 1996, the annual Day of Silence has been one of the biggest and most participated-in events in the LGBTQ+ community. However, since its creation, the very core foundations of the event have changed drastically.

Started by Maria Pulzetti and Jessie Gilliam at the University of Virginia, the Day of Silence was originally meant to raise awareness and bring attention to the discrimination and harassment that members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies face. Initially, “it was supposed to be representative of the oppression faced by queer people, to force everyone in the room to notice the silence and resonate with them.” However, over the years, the day has come to represent almost the exact opposite, with silence as a concept being viewed as representing complacency. As a result, many members of the LGBTQ+ community in recent years have shown desire to change the nature of the event.

Nowadays, the Day of Silence has gone from an event meant to raise awareness to an event meant to inspire action, being redubbed the Day of No Silence, or the Day of Action. This new event, while still in the vein of spreading awareness and information, encourages a much more active role to those wanting to participate. The day encourages things like making posts on social media, signing petitions, making posters, and doing other things that would allow for new information to find people.

So, if you’re an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, or part of the community yourself, there are many ways that you can participate in this year’s upcoming Day of No Silence. The SAGE Club and its attendees welcome anyone who would like to learn more and join in activities. From the sponsor of SAGE, Mrs. Ryan, “anyone can participate, from allies, or queer people, to anyone who just wants to support social justice.”