Gay High School
 

Have just spotted this article. So, anyone got any opinions?

New York to open gay high school

Gary Younge in New York
Tuesday July 29, 2003
The Guardian

New York City is set to create America's first public secondary school specifically devoted to gay, bisexual and transgender students.
The Harvey Milk High School, named after San Fransisco's first openly gay supervisor who was assassinated in 1978, will enrol about 100 students this autumn in a newly renovated building in Greenwich Village.

The new school's principal, William Salzman, said its curriculum will be academically challenging for the 14- to 18-year-olds, and will follow mandatory English and maths courses while specialising in computer technology, arts and cookery.

"This school will be a model for the country and possibly the world," said Mr Salzman, a former Wall Street executive. "We intend to have 95% of our students go on to college. We want to steer these kids in the right direction."

The school is supported by New York's republican mayor, Michael Bloomberg. "I think everybody feels that it's a good idea because some of the kids who are gays and lesbians have been constantly harassed and beaten in other schools," he said yesterday. "It lets them get an education without having to worry."

The number of hate crimes against gays and lesbians almost doubled in America between 1992 and 2002.

But establishment of the school drew criticism from rightwingers, who believe a separate school is unnecessary and a waste of taxpayers' money.

"Is there a different way to teach homosexuals?" asked New York's conservative party chairman, Mike Long. "Is there gay math? This is wrong. What next? Maybe we should have schools for chubby kids who get picked on."

The school will be an expansion on a 19-year-old alternative public school programme previously limited to just two classrooms.

That programme was founded by the Hetrick-Martin Institute, a gay rights youth advocacy group, which will continue to play a leading role in the new school.

I understand the want and possible need for this. Because currently, as a society we are in a period of transition. People are out and trying not to feel ashamed, yet still millions hate. But without gays and straights mixing, will we ever reach the goal of finding common ground? If they are separated now, people will grow up continueing to believe they deserve to be called "different".

But I guess they are different in many ways, and in those ways they are at risk. But just like the african american movements, we will not change unless we are forced to tolerate/accept what is different.

This may cause people to target an entire school, hate crimes on an entire school...a bit scary.

I have mixed feelings. This is tough.

Well iґm against it because i think itґs way more prejudice to separate a group from another. If we want to try to stop people hate each other, we must learn how to live together with other human being.

Cya

Dent :cool:

I decided not to post my own opinions on this initially, because I wasn't entirely sure how I felt. However, I feel increasingly strongly that ghettoisation is a bad thing. Imagine the outrage there would be if someone had suggested separate schools for those of Jewish origin, to stop them getting picked on by non-Jewish classmates and teachers?

I wholeheartedly believe that people should be able to go through school without coming in for flack over their sexuality, race or religion, but weeding out people who "can't fit in" is insidious, and who knows where it would end?

As a temporary measure, this could be a good thing. Part of the recent supreme court desictions about affirmative action in colleges is it recognized that the culture of a university is important to the college experience. If this unique school provides a more positive environment, then its cool.

In the long run, this is a bad idea. The rest of society needs to get a clue.

As for this being a waste of resources, 100 students is what percent of the New York city school system? At that scale, its just a matter of how you group students.

Although this does sound like segregation, I'll bet this is a school that you have to ask to go to, and aren't at all guaranteed a spot. Its a case of you can if you want, as compared to a case of you can't even if you want to.

OMG!!!

Damn!..i voted the wrong thing...i pick no....definitely
..coz..its their life and we shouldn't intefere it.
.its not our business...juz let them be what they want to be...
why force?

well....it maybe a good idea but I voted for "not sure" I think gay people are nothing in particular except for their sextuality, so I personally think you dont have to seperate that you are "different" from others :rolleyes: (So I don't support gay olympic.. I would prefer you join olympic and won the first place then proudly say that you are a gay!) but in a good way that you may getting easier to get a lover because nobody will freak you out in such school...

I'm not really sure how I feel about this either. I think in the short-run it is a great idea and will be very benefical to the students who attend. However I still firmly stand behind the believe that the only way to cause change is to make people face the source of their fear and hate through education. Until their has been a change in the way the majority of society views homosexuality I think this school will allow GLBT students to learn in a safe environment.

All Gay high schools aren't a new thing for the US anyways. There are several privately funded high schools around the counrty. This school is just the first one to be funded by the government. Also the students that go to these schools have experianced severe verbal, physical, and emotional harassment/ abuse. Some have been thrown out of their homes and others are HIV positive. My point is that the schools aren't just for any gay student, only those that wouldn't get an education if their weren't schools like the one in NYC.

Also I'm sorry but the right-wing in this counrty can Kiss my very gay ass. OT: has anyone heard about the amendment they're trying to make to the constitution about how marriage should only be between a man and a woman?

I'm not gay so I can't speak for the gay people here, but I do not agree with it. There should not be any black school, there should not be any white school, there should not be any heterosexual school and no homosexual schools, I think people should all be together. I mean, it's school, so what, people are gonna teach the gay pholks different stuff? :dknow: I can understand how it would help the gay people though, maybe they have problems in school because of it, and that won't happen if everyone else in the school also is gay. But I don't think it solves any problems, it's more like running away from them.

I agree queenbee, what if there were an all heterosexual school [no gays allowed!!!], that's just crazy, and someday they'll realize this.

nasnedagoniat, exactly. I think we should clear our mind :) The youth (and Im talking about really young people) might start to think "Oh the gays are bad, I cant even have them in my school so they need seperate schools" or something! Awful :(

I agree too. Iґve got a friend in school thatґs gay and heґs unfortunately bullied.
Itґs better to solve the problems locally. If someone should be moved, it should be the bullies. Donґt let the bullies set the rules!

Education. Not segregation.
 

I think this 'gay high school' is a stupid idea!
I can see that the people behind the idea have the best interests of gay teenagers at heart and I appreciate that - I would have given anything for someone to have cared 2 sh*ts about how I was feeling when I was 16 and trying to deal with being gay - but keeping gay people and straight people apart can only cause harm.
Yes, I would have liked to have had some kind of refuge from the bullying at school. Yes, I would have liked to have had someone to talk to. And yes, I would have given anything to be able to meet other gay teens who were going through the same problems, but I definately wouldn't have wanted to be shut away from the outside world and not have been able to have any straight classmates as a result of this!
This whole idea of having schools for gay kids and schools for straight kids reminds me of those awful times years and years ago when blacks were kept separate from whites. Nothing good can come from segregation - integration is the only way forward. The only way those narrow-minded, ignorant cretins who picked on me at school will ever come to accept gay people is if they mix with them, become friends with them and realise that we're not "wierd" or "sick". There is no way this will ever happen if the gay kids are separated from everyone at high school age, as it's around this time in your life that you begin to really form your opinions and judgements that will effect the way you think for the rest of your life.
I don't want to be shut away in some special school or even some segregated workplace like some leper exhiled on a remote island! I want people to accept me as a human being and treat me no differently to anyone else.

I realize most of those that have responded are straight, excepting a few before myself.

Most of you KNOW I was beaten in High School, and in my time around that joint I would have given half my kidney and the rest of the other to be in a gay High School. It's not that I think that racial segregation was a bean compared to sexual segregation, but white people didn't try making black people white by painting them white: heterosexuals DO TRY making us straight by raping us.

This gay high school doesn't try to segregate gay students from hetero ones, it creates a secure space for study for the students that have lived in fear of being hit or raped or killed, thus not being able to study in complete peace as it ought to be. Until an intolerant society like ours completely accepts that gay people are not only adults and that we're not perverted people, I consider it better to create a safe environment for gay youngsters.

I see your point. Now Iґve changed my opinion. Itґs good that there is a school for homosexuals. As long as the gays donґt feel that they donґt have a choice.
If they feel comfortable in their "normal" school, thereґs no idea moving. But for people like you these schools are needed.

darje, I agree with that, actually. Very good point. *thumbs up* I think that its a way to protect gay people, but I still think that all roses have thorns.. Kids can be so cruel, of course I would rather want all to be together and live in peace but right now (even though its the year of 2003) everyone still doesnt accept gay people... :( If there should be a school like this, I hope it will be out of free will to enter that school and not "Oh youre gay, youre not going to that school cause thats for straight people!" bizarre... Whats gonna come next? An all gay country? :spy:

The best would be if the teachers and staff could just learn to stop the fights and stop the bullies.

Lцfberg, no, the best would be if there were no bullies in the first place. ;)

Edit: Off-topic, but, HOLY COW my name is in your signature!

What are you gonna say next?
The best would be if there were no schools? ;)