Every year in early April, people across the country gather to recognize and participate in the Day of (No) Silence.

On this day, student-led participants take a vow of silence to protest bullying and harassment toward members of the LGBTQ+ community in schools.

The event, which began in the late ‘90s, was started by two college students who chose silence as a way to speak out against the discrimination of LGBTQ+ students.

The Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, changed the name of the day from Breaking the Silence to the Day of (No) Silence in order to address the attempted eradication of LGBTQ+ people.

However, despite the importance of the day, as well as the noticeable participation it garners nationwide, the holiday is relatively under-recognized by the media, the general public, and even some educational institutions. If we want to spread awareness, we have to do what we can to help people become aware.

We need more recognition for this day and others like it. Not just recognition for those who participate but to amplify the message behind their silence: LGBTQ+ youth still face bullying, exclusion, and systemic erasure, and they experience it quite disproportionately.

A National School Climate Survey done by the GLSEN in 2023 found that over 75 percent of LGBTQ+ students experience verbal harassment based on their sexual orientation, and over 60 percent feel unsafe at school because of how they identify.

In Iowa City, some people are starting to see the day for what it is, but more needs to be done.

According to a proclamation read at the Iowa City City Council Meeting on April 15, 563 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in the country, 19 of which have been in Iowa.

In a statement made by City Councilmember Shawn Harmsen on behalf of Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague, Harmsen emphasized the specific harms faced by youths in the local schools and other settings.

“LGBTQ+ students must be able to learn, socialize, access support, live freely and safely as their authentic selves,” Harmsen said, going on to address how racial equity, social justice, and human rights serve as one of three key values in the strategic plan of the city.

In recognition of this, Harmsen declared that April 4 be officially recognized in Iowa City as the Day of (No) Silence. He also urged community members to advocate for the rights of LGBTQ+ people, especially youth, and to combat oppression whenever and wherever possible.

This is a good thing; however, the City Council made the day official after the date had already passed. While it’s never too late to recognize such an important cause, I believe the council missed an opportunity to reach a significant audience.

Hannah Bleskacek, a nursing student at Kirkwood Community College, lives in Iowa City and spends much of her time interacting with the community. However, not even she had heard of the Day of (No) Silence.

“I think that if I did know about it, I definitely would have done my part to spread awareness. It makes me sad that I didn’t know about something this important,” she said.

But it isn’t just Bleskacek who didn’t know — it’s the majority of us.

In fact, of the 40 UI students and Iowa City residents I surveyed, only five people knew what the Day of (No) Silence was.

But, I can’t blame those 35 people for not knowing. Unfortunately, I, like the City Council, was too late in finding out what the Day of (No) Silence is. In fact, I found out from the City Council meeting, as I’m sure others did as well.

How do we fight the lack of acknowledgment and spread awareness? How do we make this day known in a way that will engage the community, maybe even the country?

“The community needs to understand their audience, the people they are speaking to. In Iowa City, we’re almost all college students, and as members of Gen Z, we spend a lot of time on social media. The city, and maybe even the university, should have done more to recognize the day through social media,” Bleskacek said.

In times like these, the community is responsible for bringing this kind of attention to their peers. Local government also retains some of that responsibility. It’s time that we own up to it; it’s time that we do what we need to do to help people who aren’t always able to help themselves.

It’s time to make the Day of (No) Silence heard.