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ENLARGEValley High School sophomore Vance Smith, right, hugs another student as he thanks her for supporting the Day of Silence, a national youth movement protesting the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Vance, an openly gay student, initiated the Day of Silence at the Gilcrest school on Tuesday as president and founder of the Teaching Respect for All club.
GILCREST -- Small town, small school, gay lifestyle. They don't usually mix.
But Vance Smith, an openly gay sophomore at Valley High School, was surprised Tuesday when he and members of his school club worked on a Day of Silence.
Vance, 16, is the only student at the school who has "come out," as he puts it. He worked for a year to start a club to support gay students at the school and, after talking with faculty and administrators, decided to include others in the club.
It's an official school organization now.
Vance learned that to make the club more acceptable, he opened it up for students who were bullied, students shunned by others and those who are afraid in school.
"It's really about diversity," Vance said Tuesday. "It's not just about tolerance anymore -- it's about respect for others."
Last week, Vance was selling yellow buttons that said "Day of Silence" on them for 25 cents apiece. He was surprised that he sold out of the 70 buttons. But on the other hand, the 80 posters for the Day of Silence that he put up around the school have all disappeared.
Many of the Valley students Tuesday were wearing red T-shirts that had the same words, "Day of Silence," written on them.
Some faculty members wore the buttons, and counselor Nancy Sarchet wore one of the T-shirts. "Respect is what this is all about," Sarchet said. "Respect for ourselves, respect for others."
The buttons and T-shirts were supplied to Vance by the state and national offices of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, which has helped the sophomore for the past year. Day of Silence was started 10 years ago by the national network.
Most of the buttons and T-shirts were purchased by girls in the school, and Vance understands that. "Boys tend to be more athletic or in FFA here," he said. "They don't like the idea of gay students coming out."
Vance said he's received some harassment at the school but has never been threatened or hurt.
His mother knows what her son has been through but encourages him to press on. "We're very proud of Vance for sticking up for what he believes in," said Andrea Smith. "He's becoming an activist at 16."
Vance is president of the sophomore class at Valley, in the National Honor Society and vice president of the Future Community Career Leaders of America.
The only other male member of the Teaching Respect for All club is Vance's straight friend Kirk Hill, 15, a freshman from La Salle. "I believed in what Vance is doing," Kirk said. "We need to be there for people who are afraid to speak out for themselves."
Kirk said some students look at him differently because he was wearing the red T-shirt. "I may have lost some friends, but this is bigger than just a couple of friends."
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