The National Day of Silence will be observed in more than 8,000 high school and colleges today and in many other places unofficially.
William Van Ornum described the day at America magazine:
The National Day of Silence is being celebrated on April 15th. Where I teach it was celebrated a week early due to a very busy college schedule. In class I called on one of my students who instead handed me this note:
Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence (DOS), a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by anti-LGBT bullying, name calling and harassment. I believe that ending that silence is the first step toward building awareness and making a commitment to address these injustices. Think about the voices you are not hearing today.
More information here.