Protest planned to counter Day of Silence at Mount Si High School

[CactusCarlos]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004370164_dayofsilence24e.html

Mount Si High School leaders were hoping the national Day of Silence on Friday in support of gay and lesbian students would pass quietly under the radar.

That's not going to happen.

A prominent anti-gay-rights activist last week called for 1,000 "prayer warriors" to protest in front of the school Friday morning.

A coalition of groups that support gay students quickly announced a counterprotest at another location in Snoqualmie, where Mount Si High is located, to support students participating in the event.

A local church took out a full-page ad in Wednesday's Snoqualmie Valley Record in support of the school's Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), which is sponsoring the Day of Silence. The ad was meant to counter one by the Rev. Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, inviting residents to join his protest and declaring: "It's time for moral people to be unashamed and take a stand."

Snoqualmie's police force has asked neighboring jurisdictions to have officers standing by, although Hutcherson has vowed that his protest will be peaceful.

The National Day of Silence has been held at high schools and colleges around the country for the past 13 years, according to its sponsor, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a national group with an office in Seattle. About 230 participated at Mount Si last year, a day that sponsors said occurred largely without incident.

Making it personal

Junior Leigh Macaulay, a GSA board member, said the Day of Silence is needed at Mount Si because it's still "risky" for students to be openly gay, lesbian or transgender.

"It's no big deal over at Issaquah," she said. "The publicity has made us the battleground."

The controversy at Mount Si began with the school's invitation to Hutcherson to speak at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day assembly. The pastor had agreed to talk only about his experiences as a black man growing up in Alabama and about King's legacy. Hutcherson's daughter, a student at the school, helped plan the assembly.

But Hutcherson's prominence as an activist against gay rights led one teacher to boo his appearance and another to ask if it wasn't hypocritical for him to support civil rights for African Americans but not for gays and lesbians.

Mount Si principal Randy Taylor said Hutcherson's planned protest is continuation of that controversy.

"It's personal," Taylor said. "We embarrassed him at the Martin Luther King assembly. It's payback."

Hutcherson countered, "Of course it's personal. They embarrassed me and they embarrassed my daughter."

Hutcherson said minority students aren't treated with the same respect and sensitivity that is being shown gay students.

"There are so many issues at that school, and homosexuals get a whole day?" he asked.

The Snoqualmie Valley School District has been trying to contain the controversy by requiring all students who participate Friday to attend a training session that outlines administrators' expectations for student safety and a calm educational environment.

About 150 students had completed the session through Wednesday and the GSA expected more to participate today.

Differing viewpoints

In the first two years Mount Si held the event, Day of Silence participants have been shoved into lockers and called anti-gay names, said GSA member Caitlin Donnelly. She said that with the required training this year, students will be held accountable for their actions.

If supporters are hassled, "we plan to respond with dignity and maturity."

But she also said they would document incidents and report them to administrators.

Other students are concerned that not much learning will occur Friday.

David Shaw, a member of the Student Conservative Club at the school, said one of his teachers didn't talk during last year's Day of Silence.

"We don't want them taking time from our education," Shaw said.

Shaw's parents are members of the Coalition to Defend Education, a group that sprung up in the wake of the King assembly and called on the GSA to voluntarily cancel the Day of Silence.

Todd Shaw, a member of Hutcherson's church, said he'll be at the protest Friday with a sign that reads "Education Not Indoctrination."

GSA adviser Kit McCormick said members will observe the day regardless of the protest going on outside.

"It's enough of a tragedy that there are 1,000 grown-ups protesting kids who are asking for acceptance. We don't need to say a thing."

Good to see someone standing up against this nonsense.

[Lauri]

this is our local high school.. here's a parent email from someone who is in the school nearly every day.

You are welcome to forward this email around as you see fit, as I am only sending it to you at this time and leave it to you to decide to forward to your list as you deem necessary.
 
I have two children in the high school now.  I am also on the Controversial Issues Task Force and the Learning Improvement Team.  Given my kids' involvement in the school as well as my own, I offer a unique perspective on the Day of Silence.
 
Mount Si High School currently has a school-wide Day of Respect to offer the opportunity for recognition and tolerance for all differences.  The separate Day of Silence is unnecessary.  There is no other precedent for spending a day acknowledging any one club or any one student group.  There is no special day to "raise awareness" of clarinet players, or kids who wear glasses, or quiet kids, or kids who like to wear black clothing.  When the school chooses to let one club take over the day, they should do so for each club and group of students.  So, how many days would be distracting to education if all groups were allowed this honor? 
 
When did discussing publicly one's sexual practices and who you want to do them with become so mainstream?  The school already has significant policies and procedures in place for bullying and harassment and based upon my own children's viewpoints very little bullying and harassment goes on at the school.  My own viewpoint is when any one group of students jumps up and down and says "look at me, look at me" they are going to get attention and will probably be teased.  The Day of Silence, in my view, exacerbates the opportunity for one to be teased.
 
I have encouraged the administration to have the one Day of Respect each year (and not during April/May WASL and AP testing time) in which all groups and clubs have the opportunity to share their information and in which we bring in motivational speakers.  I am very opposed to having this Day of Silence and am considering keeping my kids home that day.  By they way, they never miss school unless it is for a school event such as a band festival.  So missing a day is a big deal for us.  Unfortunately they are both athletes and I have to ask for special permission for them to be excused from the rule that would prohibit them from playing in their games that day if they miss school. 
 
Our kids are also both in National Honor Society. Our daughter is the co-president.  Right before spring break, the advisor (a teacher) proposed to the NHS (when our daughter was not present) that the club endorse the Day of Silence.  He proposed that they include a question on the new officer ballots that would ask "Should the NHS support the Day of Silence?" and the choices given were "Yes" and "Neutral".  Our son came home and said to us that he wanted to ask where is the line item "Hell no!", but couldn't for fear of being condemned as a gay-hater (which he is not).  The point is should this choice (for Day of Silence) be infiltrated into all student groups?  I spent a significant amount of time on emails and phone calls with the high school principal and the superintendent putting an end to this nonsense.  Even after being told to cut it out, the advisor to the NHS still encouraged the student leaders to draft a statement of support and to consider their character in doing so.  Many students offered to resign the NHS if this vote was on the ballot and the advisor glibly waved "bye-bye" to them.  To get into NHS one must have a 3.5 GPA and significant volunteer time.  It is an important component of a college resume and to resign should never be taken so lightly.  I have asked for this advisor's resignation. 
 
Many kids are concerned about safety next Friday morning.  It is my understanding that many Snoqualmie police officers will be present.  Is such a day and such a risk really necessary when indeed we have a very accepting high school population.  I am in the school alot.  I know and talk with alot of kids, alot of different kids.  I walk the hallways and have attended classes.  There are some great (fantastic) kids at that school;in my opinion they mix well.  I do not see alot of teasing, I see alot of acceptance.  Sure, it's high school, there is going to be some of that, but this Day of Silence does not help, it exacerbates it. 
 
Keeping this in mind, I continue to pray for acceptance for all people, for safety at our schools, and for a good education for the students of the Snoqualmie Valley.

and having gone thru this GLSEN bull a few years back, there were NO gay kids being harassed at the high school.

there are NO gay kids being hurt or harassed at Mt. Si either.

if there are, there are no police reports or assault actions being filed; and the district cannot supply us with any names of students to talk to about this issue.

Hutch is correct: we send our kids to school too be educated not indoctrinated with social issues. and why the hell does it take two days of 'training' to teach kids to be silent in support? 

ive also been watching DU to see what their outrage would be.. so far, not a lot of them seem to care.

[CactusCarlos]

and having gone thru this GLSEN bull a few years back, there were NO gay kids being harassed at the high school.

there are NO gay kids being hurt or harassed at Mt. Si either.

if there are, there are no police reports or assault actions being filed; and the district cannot supply us with any names of students to talk to about this issue.

Hutch is correct: we send our kids to school too be educated not indoctrinated with social issues. and why the hell does it take two days of 'training' to teach kids to be silent in support? 

ive also been watching DU to see what their outrage would be.. so far, not a lot of them seem to care.

H5 and thanks for sharing this.

[Lauri]

no problem.. and as for the protest today, the local news said there were some angry outbursts between the opposing groups, but nothing else.

i have friends and neighbors that went.. but I opted out of the Hutch media circus this time.

[Rebel]

Hutch has been all over the news up here and on Medved and David Bose's (sp?) show as well.

Wanna talk about a bunch of BS? They made it sound like the cops that would be there were there in case something violent happened by Hutch and his group. The only violence that happened was from the friggin' moonbats. I'm not sure these idiots really want to tangle with 'ole Hutch. He was an NFL Linebacker. .....and no, he isn't a homophobe. He just wants the indoctrination to f'n stop. My hat's off to him.