Silent day to symbolize oppression

Every day, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people are oppressed, said graduate student Barry Magee, director of the CommUNITY Educators.\nMembers of the GLBT community and their allies will protest this silencing Wednesday during the National Day of Silence, "Making the Silence Visible."\n"Oppression is oppression," Magee said. "If any group is oppressed, it's oppressing to everybody because there's a talent missing from the table."\nPeople throughout the campus will not speak for eight hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. A march to break the silence will conclude the day.\nThis is the fifth year IU has participated in this nationwide event.\nMagee said the day means different things to different people. The CUE program, along with OUT, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Student Support Services, the Bloomington Chancellor's office, the Foster Diversity Council and the Center for University Ministry are the day's sponsors.\n"For onlookers, I hope it makes them stop and think about the voices they're not hearing," Magee said.\nIn the past, about 100 people have participated in some way or another, Magee said.\n"For those who participate … it brings out a lot of internal feelings," he said. "It brings a lot of community, and they feel other people are experiencing the same things."\nParticipants can obtain rainbow ribbons and silence cards at the Indiana Memorial Union Student Activity Desk to show others why they are remaining silent. From 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., there will be a silent lunch at the east end of Dunn Meadow. It is mostly a bag lunch, but some local organizations are donating food, including Bloomington Bagel Company.\nAt 4:30 p.m., participants will gather at Showalter Fountain with murals and march silently to the Sample Gates. Once there, they will stand silently counting down until the clock tower strikes 5 p.m. Then, participants will break the silence by whistling, yelling and celebrating. After a short speech, participants will break into groups and talk about their feelings on the day.\nFor those who wish to show support in a less visible way, they can trace their hands and sign their names on "Hands against Silence" murals at various locations around campus Monday and Tuesday, including the residence halls and some academic buildings.\nMagee said he hopes people show support in any way they can, saying the silence imposed on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people is not unlike the way society silences other minorities.\n"We hope people participate just to be supportive because it's the right thing to do. Last year, easily 50 percent of the participants were just allies," he said. \nSenior Jason Jones, president of OUT, said people should participate to show campus-wide support. \n"Campus-wide silence … it shows that the GLBT community is silenced every day," he said. "Especially support from non-GLBT people. It shows that activism has gone beyond the GLBT community. It's icing on the cake -- it shows everyone that it's an issue affecting everyone."\nSophomore Jaret Fishman said he believes it is important for non-GLBT members to be involved in the cause.\n"As an ally, a white heterosexual male, I feel it is very important to support a day that protests the silence imposed on minority groups, especially the GLBT community," Fishman said. "I was involved last year as a CommUNITY Educator, but this year I really wanted to take a bigger role. We all are sounds, and it's very important to fight for those who are being silenced."\nFishman said he believes this is a societal issue that needs to be addressed.\n"Our society is affected so much by the voices that are not heard," Fishman said. "To be silent, we are giving consent to the silencing"