A group of students dressed in identical T-shirts screamed aloud at the LGBT center just after 8 p.m. yesterday as they gathered to “break the silence” after not speaking for an entire day. Sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, the 10th annual National Day of Silence — which attracted more than 500,000 participants around the country — works to underscore the silence experienced by those afraid to speak about their sexual orientation.

Organizers said that the rules regarding the Day of Silence were flexible.

“If you can only stay silent for an hour, do it,” said sophomore Ingrid Fox, publicist for the LGBT-CRC. “If you have a major presentation but want to stay silent for the rest of the day, it’s your choice. If someone is about to get hit by a car, yell out to them so they can get out of the way. Use your judgment. In general, I believe the norm is to pledge to stay silent for six hours out of the day.”

Stanford’s participation in the Day of Silence included a silent lunch at noon in White Plaza. LGBT ordered 600 shirts for participants reading, “Today I choose to remain silent. I choose to reflect. I choose to take a stand ... What will you do to end the silence?”

The day culminated with the “Breaking the Silence” event at the LGBT-CRC. The event included discussion, music and performances by Spoken Word Collective about topics from gay identity issues to violence against women.

During the “Breaking the Silence” event, students gathered to discuss their experiences during the day. Some shared the difficulty of staying quiet, while others complained about people who did not show sufficient respect for participants and tried to make them talk. Some students discussed how lonely they felt and how they missed contributing to class; others championed how the event emphasized the solidarity of the LGBT community.

Participating in the Day of Silence allowed some students to understand the feelings experienced by those who cannot freely talk about their sexuality.

“I think the moment when I realized how difficult it was to be silent was when I was biking to class this morning, listening to my iPod and I couldn’t sing along with the song,” said junior Dina Howard, coordinator of Cafe Q, the weekly meeting for LGBT members — which was replaced this week by the Day of Silence discussion. “It really is an exercise in putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.”

The day reminded others of their own experiences before coming out.

“I felt like I was a freshman in high school again,” said William White, freshman and LGBT-CRC intern. “I wanted to say so much. I was really quiet freshman year in high school because I wasn’t out. I realized I wasn’t true to anyone. The silence reminded me of that and it made me really sad.”

Magdalena Barrera, an IHUM teaching fellow, had several silent students in her classes.

“I didn’t have a problem with it at all,” she said. “I support the statement and I’m glad that students bring that here.”

Paz Hilfinger-Pardo, a sophomore and LGBT-CRC staff member, said that the Day of Silence sends a public message about how many students do not feel they can speak about their sexuality.

“National day of silence is really important to me,” she said. “I’ve always been a vocal member of the queer community, but there are so many of us who don’t know who to talk to or that anyone else is going through what they’re going through. Letting those who can’t talk know that there are people out there like them are incredibly important.”

LGBT-CRC Visibility Events Coordinator Nora Levinson, a junior, agreed that the Day of Silence gives the gay community important visibility.

“LGBTQ individuals are often forced to remain silent for fear of intolerance, bullying or even violence,” she said. “By choosing to remain silent all day, participants in the National Day of Silence are able to reflect on and draw attention to this silence that is forced upon queer, questioning and allied people worldwide.”

Levinson felt that the success of the day’s observance reflected LGBT students’ effectiveness and significant role on campus.

“The Stanford LGBT community is one of the most visible and well-supported LGBT communities on a college campus in the USA,” she said. “Stanford is extremely lucky to have such a high level of support for student groups to create programming and events discussing queer issues.”