Anti-Gay Student Day Fizzles

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/04/041405truthDay.htm

The inaugural Day of Truth, seeking to mobilize students who believe homosexuality is wrong, attracted 1,150 participants Thursday at about 350 schools nationwide, according to the conservative group which launched it in response to the far larger, gay-supportive Day of Silence.

The New York-based Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, which coordinates the Day of Silence, said at least 450,000 students at more than 4,000 schools and colleges participated in the 10-year-old event - which took place Wednesday.

Participants in the Day of Silence generally do not speak during the course of the school day as a way of highlighting the isolation and harassment experienced by many gay students.



that's what--like 30-40 kids per school

that's still too much hate out there

[sakabatou]

1. Should be renamed Day of Bigotry

[davidinalameda]

2. well yeah!

[BOSSHOG]

3. That comes out to less than 4 kids per school

[Meldread]

4. *sighs*

It's just their first time. They are no doubt hoping to increase the number of participants each year.

We should have a counter "protest" day for their "Day of Truth". I like the suggestion above, "Day of Bigotry". They can wear T-Shirts and hand out pamphlets just like the little bigot kids. It could focus mostly on LGBT issues and problems but also inform students and parents about the activities of the Religious Right (and how it negatively affects them).

To add to the fun we can seek out local LGBT friendly churches who are against their little bigot day, and use the students to promote those churches over the rightwing fundamentalist churches.

I bet that would shut them up. Nothing would piss them off more than having people go place money in the offering plate elsewhere. :D

[Ian David]

5. Great idea! They can give out fliers for the UCC and Unitarians

Personally, I think it would be fun to hand out fliers for Pagan and Satanic rituals and then claim religious discrimination if the Christian kids are doing it but I can't.

[Ian David]

6. Americans vs Theocrats: Final Score Tallies

Bigots
1,150 Students
350 Schools
3.25 Students/School

Americans
450,000 Students
4,000 Schools
112.5 Students/School

Now, the Day of Silence is 10 years old. The Day of Hate is brand new.

So, here are some "adjusted" scores

Bigots with X10 Multiplier
11,500 Students
3,500 Schools
3.29 Students/School

The Americans still come out ahead by a huge margin, even with a times-ten multiplier.

3.29 Bigots/School vs 112.5 Americans/School.

http://www.dayofsilence.org/about/history.php

[dsc]

7. The growth would tend to be exponential not linear

Sorry I can't resist as this is a problem precisely like the ones I would use in my class. Until I see next years data I can't really put numbers to this problem. My guess is that we are still ahead of the game but until the data is in we can't be sure.

[Ian David]

8. Your math is strong, but my wishful thinking is stronger

Is there any way you can extrapolate based on available data?

[dsc]

9. Not without a second year

Since the first year is 0 that would make the exponential factor infinite for the anti gay group. I would also need, and presumedly could find, the first year of the pro gay group plus some intervening years. So sadly no real predictions can be made until next year.

[xchrom]

10. lol -- good --

punk-ass, self-righteous, freaks -- you know they're no fun to hang with.

[Maat]

11. I'm glad that only a small amount of kids participated in ..

their little bigotry exercise.

I feared that it was going to be far worse.

I think this gives me hope - the youngsters aren't ignorant by and large.

Maybe the Radical Religious Wrongies will just pass on, and bigotry will die too.

[Langley85]

12. encouraging

but even a few people doing this per school is too many. I was afraid it'd be a lot worse, it's great to see how much better the Day of Silence did, but we've still got a long road to go before "bigotry dies", if it ever does. I wouldn't count on ever seeing the total death of bigotry, the most we can hope for is that there are more of us than there are of them, and I believe there are. I believe time is on our side, and that is what is scaring the fundies to death. I just hope they live to see a day when gays are treated 100% equally and no one listens to them anymore.

[Maat]

13. This retired social worker doesn't ever see the complete..

death of bigotry, if only for statistical reasons. There's always going to be one or two of every combination or characteristic available.

I'm just seeing the glass here as half-full.

I appreciate that there were huge amounts of kids that affirmed human rights.

There were only a relative few that didn't - probably because they were being pushed by their parents.

Come on, see the glass as half-full!

[MuseRider]

14. We all need people like you

who see the glass as half full. I don't know how you manage to be so hopeful but it is helpful. One of our state senators came up to my friend and I after we lost the marriage amendment battle and told my friend (she is only 18) that when she and I were in high school there were no gay students, in fact there were no gay people, no one out that is. That is how far we have come in the last 30 years. We have to fight for this but we have come a long way. Still, I find it difficult to look at it as progress when the people we are fighting are so hateful. Anyway, thanks.

[Maat]

15. Hang in there!

Sometimes we don't see the Forest for the Trees. I, for one, am doing everything I can to notice whatever small and steady progress we make. And, talking to my daughter, the Young give me hope.