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Addie Benson-Kingsland smiled, joked and laughed as she told a predominantly homosexual group of teens at the “Night of Noise” barbecue how tortured she felt forcing herself into silence Wednesday.

“I was silent for 10 hours today and it almost killed me because I normally talk a lot,” she said.

The bisexual 10th-grader at Salt Lake City's West High School purposely kept her mouth shut in protest of what she and others called the silence that is forced upon the nation's homosexual community through harassment, prejudice and discrimination. This is the second year that Utah students have taken part in The Day of Silence celebration, which began in Virginia in 1996.

“I think I raised some awareness, if not with one person, with a few people,” Benson-Kingsland said.

About three dozen Salt Lake County high school and college students, who also refused to speak during the nine-hour vow of silence, talked up a storm at the barbecue Wednesday night at the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Community Center of Utah. The gathering in downtown Salt Lake City was complete with beef and veggie burgers, hot dogs, a howling spring wind and Pink Floyd music.

Kenny Knapp, an 18-year-old student at Horizonte High School, said 23 of his classmates went the day without making a peep.

“We had a lot of people hate us, but we stuck together in a group,” Knapp said.

Though not a homosexual himself, Knapp protested on behalf of his homosexual brother despite the taunting and name-calling by other students.

Local culinary student Brandon Olsen also said some students at his school laughed at his silent protest. He claimed some students have even made death threats to him and his friends in the past because of their sexual orientation.

“It hasn't been physical yet, but I know it's going to get there,” he said.

Tony Diaz, a gay student at West High School and president of the school's Gay and Straight Alliance program, admitted breaking his silence after only three hours.

“I tried hard but I'm in charge of the GSA, and I had to talk to school officials,” Diaz said.

The Gay and Straight Alliance leader said Wednesday's protest helped fill a void left when members of the homosexual community are kept from expressing themselves.

“It's the absence of a voice that's usually around, and you just know something should be done about it,” Diaz said. “Something is wrong.”