Scottsdale, Arizona–The Alliance
Defense Fund and Day of Truth participants are undaunted about the importance of
the April 27 event despite failed attempts by activists to stifle discussion on
the issue of homosexual behavior. Day of Truth 2006 intends to equip
students with a singular message:
The Truth cannot be silenced.
“The Day of Truth provides an
opportunity for participating students to express a different perspective than
GLSEN’s Day of Silence. Students
can’t be expected to make good, well-informed decisions if they’re only being
told part of the story,” said ADF Litigation Counsel Delia van Loenen. “Sadly,
some Day of Silence supporters seem to be more concerned with silencing other
viewpoints than providing complete information to students.”
In February,
bloggers opposed to the Day of Truth attempted to stage a phony “buyout” of
materials via the event’s official Web site but were promptly thwarted. Since the Day of Truth’s inception, many
students who have tried to participate have been silenced, or nearly silenced,
by those who oppose free and open debate on the subject of homosexual
behavior:
·
An ADF attorney sent a letter to a North Carolina school
Monday on behalf of a student told he could not wear his Day of Truth T-shirt or
distribute Day of Truth flyers even though other students are being permitted to
wear clothing and distribute flyers promoting the Day of Silence (www.telladf.org/UserDocs/ArthursLetter.pdf).
·
Chase Harper, a Poway High School student in Poway, Calif.,
was suspended for wearing a T-shirt that read “Homosexuality is Shameful” during
the San Diego school’s 2004 Day of Silence observance. Harper refused to remove the shirt and is
now suing the Poway Unified School District with the assistance of ADF
attorneys. Harper and ADF are also
seeking further review of Thursday’s much criticized ruling by two judges on the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit who upheld a lower court’s refusal to
halt the school district’s policy while the case moves forward (www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=3733).
·
School administrators have formed employee groups on campus
in order to promote the Day of Silence and teachers’ participation in the event,
which promotes the homosexual agenda.
Under pressure from concerned members of the community, the Sacramento
City Unified School District recently backed down from officially endorsing the
Day of Silence (www.telladf.org/news/story.aspx?cid=3717).
·
ADF attorneys are also monitoring other developing
situations.
“The First Amendment allows for
open discussion,” van Loenen explained. “Allowing students to have a Day of
Silence without allowing them to have a Day of Truth limits free speech and the
free exchange of ideas, which ultimately limits the ability of students to make
good decisions.”
ADF is a legal alliance
defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training,
funding, and litigation.