HIGHLAND PARK (WWJ) – Friday, April 15 marks the “Day of Silence” – a day in which hundreds of thousands of students nationwide take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-gay name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools.

In coordination with the Day of Silence, local organizations are hosting a community event at the Ruth Ellis Center (77 Victor Street, Highland Park) to highlight bullying in the metro Detroit area. Attendees can expect to hear moving stories of bullying and hate crimes that affect local youth. The event begins at 5:30 pm on Friday.

Two of the top three reasons students said their peers were most often bullied at school were actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender expression, according to From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America, a 2005 report by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and Harris Interactive.

The Day of Silence brings us closer to making bullying, harassment and name-calling based on sexual orientation and gender identity unacceptable in America’s schools.

Speakers at the Highland Park event include: Denise Brogan-Kator, Equality Michigan Interim Executive Director; Jay Theden, Out and Upfront; Jessie FullenKamp, Ruth Ellis Center Program Supervisor; and
Nusrat Ventimiglia, Equality Michigan Director of Victim Services.
 
For more information, visit the Day of Silence website or call 313-252-1950.