The Day of Silence is an annual day of action to spread awareness about the effects about bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and their supporters. It is a known fact that harassment upon LGBT individuals increases their chances of inflicting self-harm and committing suicide.

However, a group of students at McGuffey High School in Claysville, Pennsylvania had different ideas and formed an “Anti-Gay Day,” which they held on 16 April, the day after the LGBTQ advocacy held the annual Day of Silence the day before. Students that participated in the “Anti-Gay Day” wore flannels, wrote “Anti-Gay” on their bodies and posted Bible verses on student’s lockers that identified as either gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender.

DThere were also reports that there were physical encounters between certain students that either participated or did not. There were even reports of a “lynch list” that went around the school. Due to the events surrounding the school, they came under media scrutiny with students and parents speaking out about the incident.

16-year-old McGuffey High School student Zoe Johnson who identifies as bisexual talked to “BuzzFeed’s” David Mack saying, “We came into school on Thursday and found a lot of people wearing flannel and we could not figure out why.” She added, “People started getting pushed and notes were left on people’s lockers. I got called a dyke, faggot. They were calling us every horrible name you can think of.”

While there have not been any comments from school officials, the Superintendent of the school released a statement to local station WPXI-TV reassuring students and parents that they were looking into the claims saying, “We resolve to ensure that all children can grow and learn in a safe, supportive environment free from discrimination.”

There were also reports that the American Family Association’s Tim Wildmon, who has been known for his outspoken opposition to LGBT causes, was critical of the Day of Silence, calling it a “hijacking of the classroom for political purposes.”

To hear of this incident happening is infuriating and heart breaking especially for something like to happen on a day meant for support and peaceful protests. Hopefully, the day will come when we can stop judging others for their beliefs or sexual orientation and can live together even if that scenario seems to be out of reach at times like these.