As a teacher, I have no problem at all with this. Silence in the classroom is NOT an issue - I have much more trouble with kids who won’t shut up. I’d rather see a day of silence than a walk-out or other sort of disruptive demonstration. My school has done the day of silence for several years now and I’ve never had any trouble at all on that day. You can learn just as much (if not more) by keeping your mouth shut as you can by speaking.

And by the way, students ARE allowed to answer questions from the teacher (at least on my campus). They won’t be chit-chatting with their friends, but if a teacher asks them to answer a question, they are expected to respond. The card isn’t a “get out of class free” card as you characterized it.

I support ALL of my students, including the gay an lesbian ones. All students have a right to come to school without fear that they will be bullied. While this event is sponsored by the Gay-Straight Alliance on our campus, it is meant to show support for any student who is being bullied.