If Carl Walker-Hoover were alive he would have turned 16 this week and probably looked forward to getting his driver’s license. Instead, the Massachusetts middle-school student took his own life in 2009 after enduring daily taunts for being gay.
Walker-Hoover was one of 16 young people honored today at “Voices for the Silenced” at Rollins College. Hosted by Spectrum, the college’s LGBTQQIPAA Alliance (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, pansexual, ally), the event brought dozens of people together for the International Day of Silence, which commemorates the epidemic of LGBT suicides from bullying.
“These deaths were 100% preventable,” said organizer Scott Novak, 19, Spectrum’s incoming president for 2013-2014. “By raising awareness, we are doing something about it.”
Students, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the names of 40 young people nationwide who have committed suicide because of taunts for their sexual orientation, gathered on the Mills Lawn for a barbecue lunch. The Rollins College Chapel bell rang out a few times every hour to honor those 40 victims.
Students stood at a podium to read stories, news clippings and suicide notes from 16 of the victims, whose names were highlighted in white on poster board. As each victim was remembered, his or her name was colored in with paint.
Bernard Farquharson, a freshman from the Bahamas, stood and read a letter of an apology he wrote to Walker-Hoover for the bullying the 11-year-old endured. Farquharson said he was inspired to write the letter because he felt the news reports were insufficient.
Though the annual Day of Silence is usually marked with a “no speech” vow, Rollins Spectrum President Sabrina Kent, 19, said they took a vow of silence but spoke during the rally to give voices to the silenced.
“We want to make this campus more aware of bullying,” Kent said. “We want to increase awareness and understanding, not just ‘tolerance.'”
Spectrum put color posters around campus depicting photographs of the 40 suicide victims and handed out armbands, T-shirts and LGBT materials at tables on the Mills Lawn.
Zakiya Brown, Program Coordinator for the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Rollins College, said student clubs can apply for money to host events like “Voices for the Silenced” that promote awareness for their causes. Spectrum’s annual events include the Orlando Pride Parade March, Safe Sex Week, Week of Action and the Glitter Ball. The club has about 30 active members.
