From left: Dr. Donald Fraynd, Acire Roche and spoken-word poet Rain. Photos by Andrew Davis__________
Silence may be golden—but there's also something to be said for making some noise.
On April 19, hundreds of area LGBTQA students marked the 10th annual Day of Silence by electing not to speak at all while in school. ( The first Day occurred at the University of Virginia in 1996. ) In doing so, these individuals lent their support to a national movement designed to create a safe environment for everyone, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.
That night, a large throng convened in front of The Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph, marked the end of the day by taking part in the Night of Noise Rally. The rally, sponsored by Creating Safe Schools for Illinois ( CSSI ) , allowed attendees to break the quietness in a manner that was both celebratory and informative. ( CSSI was formerly known as GLSEN Chicago before it broke ranks from the national organization. )
Ellen Jo Ljung, CSSI co-chair, talked about how the movement has mushroomed from 150 students at one school to nearly half a million individuals. However, she also mentioned to the crowd that there is still a long way to go: 'There are still problems. LGBTQ [ students ] have higher rates of substance abuse, suicide attempts, absenteeism and dropping out as compared to their heterosexual peers.'
There was also a reading of a petition that asked Chicago Public Schools ( CPS ) CEO Arne Duncan and Chief Education Officer Barbara Eason-Watkins to have all CPS high school teachers, administrators and staff receive annual training regarding LGBT youth issues and the CPS non-discrimination policy.
Dr. Donald Fraynd, principal of Jones Prep High School and a chapter co-chair of CSSI, delivered the response. The openly gay official talked about how he 'is proud to be in a district' where he can be just that. 'There are many supporters out there,' he added. 'I can very safely speak on behalf of Mr. Duncan and Dr. Eason-Watkins that they are very, very [ supportive ] of helping LGBT students feel more safe in schools—but in a massive bureaucracy like ours, it becomes very difficult. Part of their response is that there is a long way to go, but there is a lot of senior-level support.'
The entertainment included DJ Casper; performances from the Radical Cheerleaders; the About Face Youth Theatre; spoken-word pieces from students Rain and Martin Medina; and drag kings Andres de los Santos ( a.k.a. Aurora Pineda ) and Papi Chulo ( Xiomara Santiago ) .
CSSI's youth committee, coordinated by Acire Roche, organized the evening event.