White Plains CitizeNetReporter - 150 Students Break the Silence at Crowne Plaza

WPCNR ISSUES AND ANSWERS. From Westchester Jewish Community Services. April 16, 2004: 150 students from high schools throughout Westchester County participated in The 3rd Annual Breaking the Silence last Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains. A youth speak-out aimed at educating the public about anti-gay harassment in high schools, Breaking the Silence was the culmination to the National Day of Silence during which students take a vow of silence to recognize the discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.

As part of the program, a Purchase College theater major performed “The Fag,” a one-man show he’s written for his senior thesis based on true stories. Breaking the Silence also included an “open mic” segment during which several students gave painful and poignant personal accounts of their life experiences.

“School should be a place where all students feel they’re accepted for who they are, a place where they can be themselves, a place where they don’t feel isolated or ostracized,” says Sara Braun, Director of Westchester Jewish Community Services’ Center Lane, one of the sponsors of Breaking the Silence. “Unfortunately for gay, lesbian and questioning youth this is often not the case. The harassment they experience at school not only impacts how they feel about themselves but it also influences their ability to perform academically.”

According to Ms. Braun, Breaking the Silence gives a voice to those who are often silenced by fear, discrimination and harassment at school. The event empowers students to express how hurtful their day-to-day experiences with peers and, sometimes with faculty and administrators can be.

“We are so proud of the courage and energy of the many Westchester youth, who participated in the Day of Silence and the Breaking the Silence,” says Mary Jane Karger, Chair of GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) Hudson Valley, co-sponsor of the event. “Their presence in our county is a strong indication of the desire and commitment of many students to keep our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth safe in our schools.”

The National Day of Silence, which is observed in high schools throughout the country, is a project of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in collaboration with the United State Student Association (USSA). Center Lane, a program of Westchester Jewish Community Services, is the county’s only community center for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth. Each year nearly 200 adolescents participate in recreational and educational activities


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