The students at Sanford High School who have formed a Gay, Straight, Transgender Alliance should be commended for being willing to stand up for themselves and for tolerance. At such a young age, it’s often difficult to know who you are and what you believe, and few of us figure it out early. Fewer still are confident enough to advocate for themselves, but that’s just what this SHS group is doing.

On Friday, April 27, the students will bring the national Day of Silence effort to their own high school, with a focus on ending harassment and bullying of those who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

We hope they find success with this effort and spread the message to their peers that everyone should be respected, no matter how different they are from you. From using terms like “gay” in a derogatory manner to actually physically intimidating or injuring those who are not heterosexual, it needs to be made clear that such behavior is unacceptable. Whatever one may feel about another person’s sexual orientation, it doesn’t give them the right to harm that person.

Even so, though our school systems encourage diversity and acceptance, it’s important to remember that being different is never going to be easy. The message has been sent that we can all be who we are, proud and open, and that’s that. But it doesn’t take long for us to figure out that it’s not the whole story. You can be yourself, certainly, but you’ll be judged by everyone you meet and there will sometimes be negative consequences.

Some people will respond with understanding, kindness or at least tolerance. Others will not. For anyone who finds themselves in a situation where they’re the “different” one, it’s important to remember that other people’s reaction to you based on who they are, not who you are. This goes not only for sexual orientation, but also for political and religious beliefs, uncommon social practices, race, nationality and even medical conditions. And it’s not something that ends after high school or college.

People like their comfort zones and are often weary of stepping outside of them. Just ask the parent of a child with Down syndrome or autism about the looks, questions and comments they and their children receive from those who are uncomfortable around someone who’s different. While many people have gay family members or friends, most people don’t know someone who’s transgender ”“ and may have no idea how to act around them. It’s a common human reaction to fear ”“ and even hate ”“ what we don’t know or don’t understand.

In the past, many people didn’t associate with anyone outside of their religious school or racially segregated neighborhood, resulting in exposure only to people who were like them. Society has changed significantly over the years, to the point where we’ve all done business with, or perhaps even befriended, someone who doesn’t fit into the same mold as ourselves.

Vigils like this are how that change begins. It gives the community, especially the students, time to take a moment and think about how it would feel to know your safety and even your life are at stake because you have chosen to stand up for who you are. The vigil and day of silence are a chance to remember those who have been hurt, emotionally and/or physically, because they just wanted to be themselves.

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Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.