Antigay Day of Truth attracts over 1,000 participants

The inaugural Day of Truth, seeking to mobilize students who believe homosexuality is wrong, attracted 1,150 participants Thursday at about 350 schools nationwide, according to the conservative group that launched it in response to the far larger, gay-supportive Day of Silence. The New York-based Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, which coordinates the Day of Silence, said at least 450,000 students at more than 4,000 schools and colleges on Wednesday participated in the 10-year-old event. Participants in the Day of Silence generally do not speak during the course of the school day as a way of highlighting the isolation and harassment experienced by many gay students. Participants in the Day of Truth--organized by the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group--wore T-shirts with the slogan "The Truth Cannot Be Silenced" and passed out cards declaring their unwillingness to condone "detrimental personal and social behavior." Alan Sears, president of the Alliance Defense Fund, said some participating students had been threatened through "intimidation and potential disciplinary action." But overall he was pleased, describing the level of participation as "far more than we could have ever hoped or imagined for the first year." (AP)