If friends fail to respond when spoken to today, there is a good chance they're not ignoring you -- just drawing attention to queer rights.
The Day of Silence, an annual event intended as a silent protest against the mistreatment of the LGBT community, will take place today across campus. It comes as part of the LGBT Center's larger celebration of Gaypril, a month-long collection of events and activities to raise awareness and increase visibility of LGBT issues.
Gaypril is celebrated every April at colleges across the country.
"It's a period of time where you can go an extra mile to recognize a minority or diversity," said sophomore Thomas Calahan, co-coordinator of the Queer Straight Alliance (QSA).
Each participant in today's Day of Silence will receive a small card explaining the reason for his or her silence. Calahan and QSA Co-Coordinator Ryan Heman this year organized the event, which occurs annually.
"The net deficit in speech is supposed to reflect upon the silence felt by the LGBT youth," Calahan said.
A rally at the Tisch Library Patio will "break the silence" at 7:30 p.m. today. Following the rally, at 8 p.m. in Cabot 205, Lecturer Elizabeth Whitney will give a performance called "Pop Culture Princess."
As part of Gaypril, QSA members are planning to table in the Campus Center, especially during April Open House programs, to publicize their student organization.
Another major Gaypril event, the Tufts LGBT Symposium, will take place on Saturday in Anderson Hall.
Student presenters will discuss a wide range of topics at the symposium, ranging from the incarceration of gender non-conforming prisoners and the challenges they face, to a "queer analysis" of high-heeled shoes and their social consequences, according to senior Sofia Nelson, who organized the symposium.
"I think it is really great that students are sharing their knowledge with other students," Nelson said. "We hope everyone comes."
Other presentations include discussions on drag, feminism and queer theory, international LGBT rights, the Bible from an LGBT perspective, HIV/AIDS in America and allies of the LGBT movement.
The LGBT Center has also collaborated with the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston (ICA) to provide a special tour of queer artists' work at the museum.
"A person affiliated with Tufts at the ICA" posed the idea to the LGBT Center, said Christina Thomas, a junior who works at the center and is coordinating the tour.
The Queer ICA Tour will take place on April 25. The first 15 students to contact Thomas will receive free admission to the museum, and others will pay a subsidized rate.
Gaypril also includes staples like a reception for seniors and a barbecue at the LGBT Center.
The senior reception, a celebration of those who have been involved with the LGBT Center experiences on the hill, will occur on April 28 at the Remis Sculpture Court and include a catered dinner, slideshows and student speeches. At the event, each senior will receive a rainbow cord to wear at graduation.
The LGBT Center barbeque will similarly serve as a celebratory send-off for seniors.
A visit to the Massachusetts State House in Boston kicked off Gaypril events on April 7 as part of Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition Lobby Day.
Last Thursday saw a performance by the Good Asian Drivers, a queer spoken-word group that specializes in slam poetry and music.
"Usually, we have a lot of academic events, but this year we also have more entertainment," Thomas said.
