Today’s the Day!

Today is the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) Day of Silence, observed in schools across the US to protest bullying and harassment of gay and lesbian students. Or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, today is the day religious right organizations, such as Mission America, encourage efforts to counter the event by distributing Christian flyers and having children stay home in protest.

Today is also 420 (April 20), a kind of marijuana holiday in the cannabis culture. On this day pot enthusiasts gather to celebrate and consume cannabis. Political protests and demonstrations are held in many American cities to raise awareness for marijuana policy reform.

Today also marks the culmination of a week of global advocacy activities sponsored by Invisible Children in their efforts to spread the word about Joseph Kony, a Central African warlord who has killed and abducted thousands of people over the past 25 years. Participants are urged to wear their official Kony 2012 T- shirts, contact their leaders, serve their local community, and “hit the streets” on April 20 in a show of solidarity.

So, whatchya gonna do? That probably depends on how well the organizations behind these causes were able to create grassroots efforts to encourage your participation. It also depends a lot on your age, as all three of these events are targeting high school and college students.

How many of these three happenings managed to capture your attention? Are you going to participate in any of the events? Or, is it possible you didn’t even realize that today is the day?

Photo Credit: James Cridland