day of silence 2007

this is why i am an activist.

i meant to write about this sooner, but then life happened, as it tends to do.

wednesday, april 18 was the national day of silence to raise awareness about discrimination against LGBTQ individuals. it was my second year as a participant. in one of my classes, i handed out a few of the cards we get to explain why we're not speaking, and at the end of class, somebody gave this one back to me.

this is exactly what the day of silence is about.

i want to frame it and hang it somewhere i will be often, as a reminder that there is still work to do and it affects real people, people i know and see every day....and people i don't. it's the first time i've ever felt comfortable with the word "activist" and truly wanted to claim it for myself. there are so many ways to be an activist, many of them much quieter than the first images that come to mind. you don't have to be loud, you don't have to be obnoxious; you just have to care and be willing to say so--or, in some cases, not say anything.