Many students may not answer their teacher’s questions today at Palo Alto High School — not in an act of rebellion, but as a part of the second annual Day of (No) Silence at Palo Alto High.

The event is hosted by Paly Alto High’s Gender & Sexuality Alliance Club with its primary goal to actively support the LGBTQ+ community, allied students and allied staff, according to the Gender & Sexuality Alliance’s official Instagram account.

Palo Alto High hosted Day of (No) Silence in 2024 after a multi-year hiatus. Its reinstatement came in conjunction with the reestablishment of the Gender & Sexuality Alliance itself, according to Gender & Sexuality Alliance co-president and sophomore Colten Migliore.

“We [GSA members] see this [day] as crucial, especially with an influx of discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in government policies and everyday life,” Migliore said.

Outside of Palo Alto High, Day of (No) Silence remains a widely commemorated day. The event’s creators — a pro-LGBTQ+ organization composed of teachers called GLSEN — organize days of silence to protest against the suppression of LGBTQ+ individuals in schools, according to their website.

The “Day of Silence” tradition commenced in the 1990s and made the switch to the title “Day of (No) Silence” in 2024 to represent “the current attempted erasure of LGBTQ+ people,” according to GLSEN.

Those who wish to participate in Palo Alto High’s Day of (No) Silence can pick up a sticker today from room 406 in preparation for the event. Donning a sticker signifies someone’s participation in the Day of (No) Silence, displays their allyship to the LGBTQ+ community and calls for others to respect their silence, Migliore said.

Migliore said taking a vow of silence is an option for both students and staff.

For more information, visit the Gender & Sexuality Alliance’s Instagram account here.