Students in over 1700 US high schools and universities protested against homophobia by holding a silent protest on Wednesday.

The annual April 10 Day of Silence protest, aimed at drawing attention to the discrimination and harassment faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in schools, is now in its seventh year.

According to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the record level of participation marks an 800% increase over last year.

"We are inspired by the incredible number of students who will be silently yet powerfully standing up for themselves, their friends, and the ideals of safety and respect for all," said GLSEN Deputy Executive Director Eliza Byard.

"For many schools, students will be offering a first-ever lesson on the toll harassment takes -- and we hope their administrators and classmates listen closely."

The Day of Silence Project, the largest student-led action on LGBT issues in the country, is a day on which participants take a vow of silence to peacefully protest the discrimination and harassment faced by LGBT people.

Instead of speaking, participants hand out speaking cards printed with a message that explains why they have chosen not to talk.

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The event originated at the University of Virginia in 1996, after then-18-year-old student and Day of Silence founder Maria Pulzetti wrote a paper on non-violent protest. This year, 80% of participating students are in high schools.

Some students carried cards that read: "My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by harassment, prejudice and discrimination."

The project has grown from 200 schools in 2001 to 1,776 schools in 49 states taking part this year.

"Students have used the Day for a number of years to draw attention to a serious school safety issue that schools have been slow to address," continued Byard, noting GLSEN's 2001 National School Climate Survey, which found that 4 out of 5 LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school. In the same study, 30% reported missing at least one day of school in the past month due to fear for their physical safety.

Some however welcomed the protest for other reasons.

Robert Knight, director of the Washington-based Culture and Family Institute reportedly said: "There is so much homosexual propaganda now in schools that I would think most kids would welcome a day of silence on the topic and wish it were extended indefinitely."