Sam Farr: “Today across the country, thousands of students on our college campuses are silent. They are silent as a sign of…”

“Today across the country, thousands of students on our college campuses are silent. They are silent as a sign of solidarity of persons who, because of their sexual orientation and gender identification, cannot speak for themselves. They are silent as a form of protest against a society that silences persons who are different, persons who do not meet main street's definition of proper. They are silent, but we in Congress should not be. We should shout and raise our voices and call for an end to discrimination and prejudice against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons. We should affirm loudly that by this day of silence, America has the capacity and the heart to say to all persons are just that, persons; and all persons are deserving of fair treatment. In closing, I would like to thank two gentlemen from my district, Bruce Carlson and Matt Friday, for their dedication to such causes, and recognize the instrumental role they play in creating a nation free of prejudice.”