Brian Sims and Jeff Sheng at Quinnipiac for National Day of Silence

Jeff Sheng, founder of the Fearless Campus Tour, a collection of photographs of high school and collegiate athletes who openly self-identify as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered, will discuss his work at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, April 14, in Alumni Hall at Quinnipiac University.

Sheng's talk will be followed by an exhibition of his work, which includes photographs of more than 100 athletes from the United States and Canada.

Also on April 14, Brian Sims, the first openly gay college football captain in NCAA history, will appear in Alumni Hall at 7 p.m. to discuss his experience. Now a LGBT advocate, Sims is the policy attorney for the Philadelphia Bar Association and chairman of the Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia.

Both campus-wide events are part of the National Day of Silence, which started in 1996 to raise awareness about the harassment aimed at gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual students. Today, participation from more than 8,000 schools and universities remain silent throughout the day, with the exception of "breaking the silence" events organized to encourage students to stop hurtful name-calling and create safer schools.

The student organizations, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Supporters (GLASS) and the QU Democrats, are sponsoring the event, which is free and open to the public.

For more information, please call 203-582-8652.