Despite the mess of metal bars cluttering O'Neill Plaza in preparation for Arts Fest, a cluster of approximately 50 students clad in red "Support Love" T-shirts gathered there to bring awareness to the silencing of GLBTQ students at Boston College. Their pledge of silence represented the silencing of GLBTQ students around the country. The event, which took place on Friday afternoon, was sponsored by the GLBTQ Leadership Council (GLC) of BC.
"We have to subtly censor ourselves," said John McDargh, a professor in the theology department who spoke at the event. "Straight people announce who they are every day - they don't have to change pronouns, their pictures sit out on their desks, and when someone asks what they did on Friday night, they can say, 'I had a great time with my girlfriend,'" he said. "The amount of silencing that happens at BC is amazing."
The first person to speak on being silenced was a senior who felt cut off from half of her family by her father's homophobia.
"He said he would never walk me down the aisle and never have grandkids because of my choice," she said. When she told her family about life at BC, "GLC became student government." She said she feared being rejected by the people she loves and shares her life with.
The second person to speak said that he was observing the Day of Silence because students at his Jesuit all-boys high school are not permitted to do the same. He said that as the president of the student senate, he tried to bring the Day of Silence to his school, but to no avail. "I'm being silent for members of my high school who aren't allowed to be."
The third speaker said that, "up until this day, I've been silent to myself." She iterated a message of hope to the audience: "The ones who really love you will stick around," she said.
The final participant said that he felt silenced not at home, but at work. "When I meet strangers, I have to pretend I'm this hetero and it really bugs me, because that's not who I am. I'm going to try to change that," he said.
Ta chi Zhong, director of design for the GLC and A&S '09, spoke on his own experience with being silenced. "Personally, I haven't had much problem with being silenced," he said. "I'm lucky enough to have friends who have been accepting and I haven't had trouble expressing myself. It's frustrating to know that there are people who haven't been able to come out to their parents and friends."
The Day of Silence, he said, will take a step toward changing this. "Hopefully, it helps make BC students aware that this is something happening today. Even though it isn't as strong as in the past, we need to raise awareness and make campus safer for everyone."
Celso Perez, president of the GLC and A&S '09, said that BC's Catholic identity can sometimes be perceived as stifling, and may prevent some students from coming out.
"On an institutional level, a lot of students don't think they can be open, but there are resources on campus for students coming out," he said. n
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