Hundreds of young people attended the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance's "Night of Noise" rally April 20 outside the James R. Thompson Center downtown. The event capped off this year's Day of Silence, a national day observed by LGBTQ students in protest of bullying and discrimination facing queer youth in schools.
Youth across Chicago spent the school day in silence April 20 and broke that silence with a dance party and speak out at 6 p.m. that night.
For some young people who have few out friends in their high schools, the event was the first time they were surrounded by other LGBTQ peers.
"I figured it would be pretty awesome, but it's more than that," said Amanda Adaszaka, a student at Reavis High School in Burbank. Adaszaka, who identifies as pansexual, was one of 15 students at her school to observe the Day of Silence.
"There were so many haters in the hallway," she said.
Other students reported more positive experiences.
Manuel Gutierrrez, a bisexual senior at Curie Metro High School, observed the day of silence with many of his peers. The hardest thing, he said, was not the bullying.
"It was pretty hard since I talk a lot now, but it was fun," he said.
Youth paid extra attention to transgender issues this year, with a skit and speech about the exclusion of transgender people from the mainstream gay movement.
The students encouraged gay-straight alliances to become "queer-straight alliances" in an effort to include trans people and to advocate for gender-neutral bathrooms in schools.
"We need to stop letting the 'T' be forgotten," said Thomas Watkins-Hoskins, also a student at Curie.
This was the 16th year the Day of Silence has been observed nationally.
