Panel hosted at Malden High to promote awareness of Day of (No) Silence

National observance supporting LGBTQ+ students will take place in thousands of schools on April 11

By Steve Freker

When someone supports a cause or another person they customarily are encouraged to speak up on behalf of that ideal or the individual. One week from today, the exact opposite will be requested – no words, just silence. On Friday, April 11, a number of students at Malden High School will join thousands of other schools and their peers across the nation in observing a Day of (No) Silence, a day of action intended to draw awareness to the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in schools.

The LGBTQ+ acronym is generally explained as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning. “Questioning” refers to individuals who are exploring or unsure about their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The “+” at the end of the acronym signifies “inclusion” and represents all other gender identities and sexual orientations that are not explicitly mentioned within the acronym itself

Recently the Malden High School Rainbow Lions Club, a student group formerly known as the MHS Gay-Straight Alliance, hosted a panel presentation explaining and promoting the national Day of (No) Silence. The event was planned and organized by the club advisor, MHS educator Jean Jones, and the club members. The Day of (No) Silence is organized by the national Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and observed by students who show their support for LGBTQ+ rights by remaining silent for part of all of the school day. Some students may choose to wear tape over their mouths as a deeper display of their silent protest and support of LGBTQ+ students.

The presentation was delivered during a regular FLEX Academic Advisory Block last Wednesday, March 26. A panel of four Malden-based, LGBTQ+-allied individuals participated, delivering a powerful message to over 300 MHS students and staff gathered in the historic Thornton Jenkins Auditorium. Included in the four-person panel were Rev. Otto Concannon, Minister of First Parish Church in Malden, Unitarian Universalist; Rev. Aisha Ansano, Community Minister at First Parish Church in Malden, who has also served as Counselor to Unitarian Universalist students at Harvard Divinity School; Aisha Cruze; and Malden Councillor-at-Large Carey McDonald. All four spoke collectively and also individually, on their life experiences, respectively, as a transgender man, cisgender woman, transgender woman and nonbinary individual with they/them pronouns.

Councillor McDonald spoke at length at one point during a question-answer session with the students, explaining coming out as identifying as nonbinary within the past year and experiences associated with that life change. Nonbinary is one term people use to describe genders that don’t fall into one of the two categories of male or female.

The second-term City Councillor holds the historic distinction of being the only elected official in Malden municipal history openly identifying as nonbinary. Following the presentation, Councillor McDonald said, “It was an excellent event. A lot of important information was shared with our Malden students today.”

Sharing information on resources available to students on these topics is especially important these days, all four of the panelists had explained earlier. According to data collected nationally by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over one in four high school students identifies as LGBTQ+ – about 26% – a dramatic increase over the last decade, from 11% in 2015.

The panel presentation was led by an MHS student, Lumi Leshane, an officer in the Malden High Rainbow Lions Club, who was joined on stage by other Rainbow Lions student members. Leshane facilitated the question-answer session by going into the audience with a roving microphone to get questions from the students.

Malden High School eighth-year Principal Chris Mastrangelo praised all involved in planning and running the event, as well as the students who attended. “We strive to be a welcoming and supportive school community for all of our students, of all cultures and individual identities,” Mastrangelo said. “This presentation is another great example. I commend Ms. Jones and the Rainbow Lions for putting together such a great event.

“I am also so proud of over 300 students who showed such great respect and support for those participating in this event, especially with their attentiveness,” Mastrangelo added.

The Rainbow Lions Club advisor Jean Jones agreed: “The students were great and there were a lot of them in attendance; they really got to hear some valuable stories from our panelists.”

“I would like to thank our four panelists who came to share their life experiences with our students and would also like to encourage all students who wish to participate in the Day of Silence on April 11,” added Jones.

Anyone who has any questions or desires further information on the Day of (No) Silence may contact Rainbow Lions Club advisor Jean Jones by email: jj****@******ps.org.