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"According to Change.org, as of 2009, nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) youth (86.2%) reported being verbally harassed at school; more than 60 percent of LGBT students said they felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation; nearly 45 percent of LGBT students reported being physically harassed at school; and nearly one-third of LGBT students nationwide said they had missed a day of school in the past month because of feeling unsafe. On this National Day of Silence, hundreds of thousands of students nationwide symbolize the silences of LGBT students and their supporters by taking a vow of silence in an attempt to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools. The day was founded in 1996 at the University of Virginia, and has been a national event since 1997. Each year, it has expanded to schools around the country to become one of largest single student-led initiatives. By 2008, over 8,000 middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities were in, and the event has even garnered support from one celebrity, Lance Bass, who struggled with his own sexuality. Watch his 2008 PSA announcement here.       If you&amp;#039;re still in school or work on a campus, you may see some students handing out &amp;quot;Speaking Cards&amp;quot; today, which say:  &amp;quot;Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by name-calling, bullying and harassment. I believe that ending the silence is the first step toward fighting these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today. What are you going to do to end the silence?&amp;quot; This is the big question that those who organize and support the day hope to leave students around the country with: &amp;quot;What are you going to do to end the silence?&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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