This Friday is the national Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Day of Silence.

The Day of Silence is a nationwide protest of anti-gay bullying and institutionalized discrimination.

While the protest has good intentions, the Day of Silence needs to review its tactics.

The activists need to speak up.

The Day of Silence is sponsored by a few national organizations including the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

According to dayofsilence.org, the protest is the largest “one-day, student-led grassroots action on LGBT rights.”

It is worth noting that the GLSEN and even the Day of Silence talk only about sexual orientation bullying.

Little to no mention is made about people who identify as transgendered or queer.

By leaving out these already underrepresented groups, the organization sets off on shaky footing.

This well-intentioned but incomplete focus can be seen in their tactics as well.

Organizers in middle schools, high schools and colleges across the country do all of their own event planning.

The groups use vows of silence to illustrate how people who are not heterosexual are silenced through bullying and discrimination.

In theory, this works very well.

If lots of people take the oath, it makes for a powerful demonstration.

But if we want to see the end of LGBT bullying, it cannot be done silently.

Look at the Civil Rights Movement.

The famous sit-ins were illegal.

The marches announced their presence with chants, songs and even shouts.

The point is that the participants in that movement were tired of silence.

Do not ask silently—or even quietly—for the same protections and rights afforded to others.

More broadly, all students should recognize what this day is about: bullying and discrimination.

The protesters are not even demanding that anyone be comfortable with them.

In fact, they do not even ask for respect.

Instead, they ask that any potential bully keep his or her hurtful words inside.

People deserve to live their lives without being harassed and threatened when they do no harm.

Keeping silent to honor the brutalized silence of others will not put a stop to bullies.

Try using more volume, not less.

There is a saying that “silence is golden.”

For members of Alliance, Butler University’s student-led LGBTQ advocacy group, silence can also be powerful.

For the entire day of April 20, Butler students are encouraged to participate in a day of silence in order to raise awareness for the fight against bullying in the LBGTQ community both on and off campus.

Heather Iwinski, Alliance’s secretary and a  junior communication sciences and disorders major, said this day is important because thousands of school-aged children are affected by bullying because they are homosexual or are perceived to be homosexual.

“Being gay, lesbian or bisexual is nothing to be ashamed of,” Iwinski said via email.  “I think it’s disgusting people are teased for being who they are.”

Iwinski said that a person’s sexuality is not a choice and that others must be more aware of the negative impact bullying has on a person.

Chelsea Carroll, who is not a member of the LGBTQ community, has three best friends who are and said she knows what it is like to watch them have to pretend that being made fun of and bullied does not hurt them.

“It really hurts them,” said Carroll, a sophomore early and middle school education major said.

Taylor Meador, Alliance president and junior English literature major, said that even though the issue of bullying may not be an issue on Butler’s campus, it must not be written off.

“As citizens and educated students, we must be concerned with our at-risk youth, a large part of which consists of LGBTQ youth,” Meador said via email.  “We have to provide a voice or, in this instance, an impact that others may be unable to.”

This impact goes beyond just April 20.

Beginning with the Day of Silence, Alliance will host “Proud to BU” week.

Iwinski said the focus of the week is to encourage people to be the most authentic version of themselves.

“It’s about being proud to be gay, straight, bisexual, transsexual, asexual, whatever,” Iwinski said. “Our goal is to foster an understanding environment where people are able to love someone as a person even if they do not agree with their lifestyle.”