[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5245-5246]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL DAY OF SILENCE

  (Mr. FARR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the National Day of 
Silence, which is tomorrow. This is the 15th year we've commemorated 
the National Day of Silence, a time when students across the country 
remain silent for the whole day to draw attention to discrimination 
toward their LGBT peers.
  Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning youth and their 
allies face

[[Page 5246]]

verbal and physical bullying on a daily basis just for being who they 
are.
  In a time when these teens are at a greater risk of suicide and self-
harm, we cannot afford to be silent.
  I'm proud to say that in my district, queer youth and allies work 
together to make life better. Many of our middle schools and high 
schools in my district host student-run gay-straight alliances which 
create a supportive space so that queer youth do not feel isolated.
  I'm proud of my constituents for calling for a stop to harassment of 
GLBT individuals, and I encourage all Americans to do the same.
  I am particularly proud of two high school seniors from my district:
  Joaquin Garcia, from Pacific Collegiate School, and Lucy Walters, 
from Harbor High School, are two of 14 recipients of eQuality 
Scholarships in honor of their service and leadership within the LGBT 
community. Joaquin and Lucy are already making a difference in their 
communities, and I know they will continue making a difference at 
college.
  Though many lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender youth advocates 
and their straight allies are silent tomorrow, we in Congress must 
never be silent. It is our job to speak for those who cannot speak for 
themselves.

                          ____________________