Article and Photo By Tracy Nanthavongsa

DALLAS  – Gay and lesbian youth from Youth First Texas  demonstrated at a silent flash mob Friday at the Rosa Parks Plaza to  honor the National Day of Silence.

With their mouth covered in  duct tape and homemade surgical mask, the youth joined hundreds of  thousands of students nationwide to take a vow of silence to bring  attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their  schools.

The flash mob took place at 5 p.m. in which participants  literally froze in place for five minutes while other park patrons  continued on with their daily lives. Some park patrons were confused  while others stood stunned at the sight of the frozen youth.

After  the flash mob ended at the Plaza, the youth started phase two of their  silent protest on a one-mile train ride to the Southern Methodist  University campus where a “Breaking the Silence” event was being held by  the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network.

Founded in 1996, the Day of Silence has become the largest single  student-led action towards creating safer schools for all, regardless of  sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

In a bold move, President Barack Obama on Thursday in support of  LGBT rights presented a memorandum to the Department of Health and Human  Services to establish a rule that would prevent hospitals from denying  visitation privileges to gay and lesbian partners.

“There are few moments in our lives that call for greater compassion  and companionship than when a loved one is admitted to the hospital.  … Yet every day, all across America, patients are denied the  kindnesses and caring of a loved one at their sides,” the president  said.

Obama ordered that any hospital receiving Medicare and Medicaid  funding must allow patients to decide who can visit them and prohibit  discrimination based on a variety of characteristics, including sexual  orientation and gender identity.