Day of Silence against discrimination and violence
22-04-2022
The Day of Silence is an international youth-led protest against discrimination and violence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in educational institutions. This year, the Day of Silence is held on April 22nd. The goal of the day is to make educational institutions safer, eliminate and prevent degrading phenomena, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, etc.
The laws and attitudes of today’s society should be inclusive to everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity. As a non-violent protest students across the world remain silent to support the LGBT community and their allies. Non-violent demonstrations have always been preferred all over the world. The Day of Silence presents an opportunity for peaceful protest and social activism.
Every year lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and their allies participate in the Day of Silence to raise awareness of anti-LGBT harassment in their educational institutions. As a youth-led movement, it focuses on combating the injustices faced by the community. Participants try to keep ideas such as hatred and oppression out of daily life.
Unfortunately, educational institutions in Armenia are not safe for LGBT people. Students are discriminated against by both classmates and teachers because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, which causes many psychological problems, leads to isolation, low self-esteem, and hinders the implementation of the right to education.
Some LGBT people who are not supported by their families financially and are being discriminated against at the institutional level are abandoning hopes for education; some are starting to combine work and study, some are doing sex work, and some are leaving the country for a better future.
To counteract this situation Pink human rights defender non-governmental organization plans to provide scholarships up to 20 students for obtaining a BA degree. The goal of the provision of the scholarship is to empower the LGBT movement, create equal employment opportunities, and provide well-paid employment for LGBT people in Armenia.
