Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School principal promotes students participating in GLSEN’s “National Day of Silence” in support of LGBTQ activism

Concerned community members reached out to Parents Defending Education regarding an email the principal of Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School sent to parents on April 9, 2023. The principal in the email promoted GLSEN’s “Day of Silence” that takes place on April 14, 2023. She explained that students in the middle school “may choose to participate in a Day of Silence during school hours by choosing not to speak during the day.” The following points are provided for the event:

• The GLSEN Day of Silence is a national student-led demonstration where LGBTQ students and allies all around the country—and the world—take a vow of silence to protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ people in schools.
• Started in the mid 90’s by two college students, the Day of Silence has expanded to reach hundreds of thousands of students each year. Every April, students go through the school day without speaking.
• Students are aware that they are still responsible for classwork and still expected to follow school rules. Staff has been informed that this choice will not impact curriculum planning. No changes have been made to the school schedule.

The organization GLSEN is known for promoting LGBTQ issues to young children. GLSEN states on its website that “while many LGBTQ+-inclusive school supports begin in middle or high school, it is critical for elementary schools to establish a foundation of respect and understanding for all people.” The organization has also appeared to show support for children taking “hormone replacement therapy” to transition to another gender:

Upon birth, we are typically categorized into one of two genders (boy or girl) depending on how our genitals are read. Throughout our lives, however, our many bodily characteristics work together to create a unique path of development, causing some of us to grow really tall, and others to remain short, or some of us to grow hair under our armpits and legs, while others remain bare. While this development often happens on its own during puberty, this change can also be administered through medicine, such as hormone replacement therapy. Since our society often conflates our bodies (or genitalia) with our gender identity, it is critical that we allow space for people to self-identify.