Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Activism and Politics => Activism => Topic started by: hizmom on July 18, 2008, 03:15:36 PM

Title: day of silence retrospective
Post by: hizmom on July 18, 2008, 03:15:36 PM
this last spring, the small town HS
m son attends experienced its first
Day of Silence... organized pretty much
by his stony lonesome, including hand painting
18 tshirts the night before

try as he might to lay a groundwork
the principal refused to assist because
"it isnt a school led event"

there was a huge backlash from parents
who kept kids home or worse yet, supplied
"counter" tshirts with a rainbow in a red circle/slash
( i asked one kid to explain to me what the symbol
was meant to convey and he replied: no support...
when i asked: no suppor of what? he said: homosexuals)

i spoke personally with the principal, placing the responsibility
for the interference at his feet and carried the same message to
a very sympathetic and somewhat chagrined superintendent...
assuring her that this was the not the last time Day of Silence
would be represented at the high school....

an incredible outcome was that my son's application
to GLSEN's "Leadership Jump Start" training conference
was accepted and he spent 4 days in boston being trained

my heart is full, knowing that for the first time
in his entire life, he was with people who got him
without having to explain a thing....

next year..... they better be ready for this!
cos we sure as  :icon_censored:  will be!
:icon_workout:
Title: Re: day of silence retrospective
Post by: NicholeW. on July 18, 2008, 04:27:02 PM
Very nice, mom.

Hugs to you both again.

Damn you guys must be a TS/TG dream-family!!

Fantastic,

Nichole

Title: Re: day of silence retrospective
Post by: hizmom on July 18, 2008, 06:07:01 PM
dream family?!

well, suffice it to say
we have survived circumstances
that prepared us to take a deep breath
and listen, not with our ears, but our hearts

without being coy, but reserving privacy
in so public a place as an internet forum...
this gender issue is not the hardest thing
in the history of this family that has
demanded we choose perception or reality

at any rate.... dream family is a stretch!
but as my daughter would say
"we have gone thru enough to have
the right to redefine what a family is"
so, maybe you are right, after all! ::)

godspeed
hizmom