N.Y. to Open 1st Public Gay High School

yellum

Saw this on GayCork.com.
Do people think its a good or bad idea to take kids out of schools where they are being bullied and then wrap them in cotton wool in a school especially for them ?

Posted on Mon, Jul. 28, 2003
N.Y. to Open 1st Public Gay High School
Associated Press

NEW YORK - New York City is creating the nation's first public high school for gays, bisexuals and transgender students.

The Harvey Milk High School will enroll about 100 students and open in a newly renovated building in the fall. It is named after San Francisco's first openly gay city supervisor, who was assassinated in 1978.

"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," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Monday. "It lets them get an education without having to worry."

The school is an expansion of a two-classroom public school program that began in 1984. A gay-rights youth advocacy group, the Hetrick-Martin Institute, has managed and financed the program since its inception.

The new school's principal, William Salzman, said the school will be academically challenging and will follow mandatory English and math programs. It also will specialize in computer technology, arts and culinary arts.

State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long criticized the creation of the school.

"Is there a different way to teach homosexuals? Is there gay math? This is wrong," Long said. "There's no reason these children should be treated separately."

The Hetrick-Martin Institute's Web site says the school will give its students "an opportunity to obtain a secondary education in a safe and supportive environment. ... We believe that success requires the ability to respect and value the diverse human community."

Boston

lots of kids get bullied, are we going to have separate schools for all of them/ typical american way, hide your problems rather then deal with them. It just highlights the how disgusted americans are by parts of their society, blacks where beaten and bullied in american schools for along time, and had to fight for their right to go to school with white people. No matter who ro what you are, there will always be a group of people out there who hate you for being you.

Annasopra

I disagree with this its segregating students and not giving them a sense of what the real world is about. Its also taking LGB students from the mainstream schools so it means that students attending these schools will have less of a chance of coming across LGB students and will possibly be more bigoted.

Annasopra

Relevant links

www.nycenet.edu

www.hmi.org

seamus

Hmmmmmm............ (long pause)

It's not right. Even by the end of High School, there would be many people unsure of their sexuality. This could only seek to enforce that confusion.

Seeing as everyone goes through some sort of homosexual phase during puberty, as their hormones are all over the shop, how do they separate gay kids from hormonal ones? Or gay kids from curious ones?

I'm of the opinion that segregated schools aren't a proper upbringing anyway. I went to an all-male school, and I'll never subject my kids to it. At the end of 6th year, me and a mate of mine (from another all-male school), went to a talent show in a local mixed school. The difference in the kids was immediately apparent. Everyone was far more outspoken and confident. They had no problem doing what they needed to do, and saying what they wanted to say.
My school, and the all-girl school across the road however, produced far more social misfits though, IMO. Basically, you're going to have to interact with the opposite sex for the rest of your life, so where's the logic in segregating you from them, especially during the crucial adolescent years, when you're forming a sense of self? It's much harder to have to reevaluate where you thought you stood on certain issues and in the world when you're older, imo.

The same applies to this. These gay kids are going to have to deal with heterosexual biase and persecution after school. Wrapping them in cotton wool now, is only going to produce social misfits and distorted individuals, when they have to deal with the real world.

My 2c.

Suzybie

Hi all

Gotta say that I am in favour of this school and the attached institute - I have visited it.

The Heterick Martin INsititue runs programmes for homeless lgbt youth including food and laundry, counselling activities etc. The school which is somewhat seperate has been running for a long time with no state support until now.

I can see why some people think 'oh this is soooo American' but the issues here and there are very similar - in terms of bullying, early school leaving, being kicked out of home because you are gay, substance misuse, mental health issues etc.

The agenicies dealing with homelessness and early school leaving in Dublin have admitted that they deal with lgb young people. From my own experiences in international lgbt youth work young lgbts do leave school and not finish their education because school is hell for them.


I was surpised when I went to college as a mature student to meet many older lesbians and gay men who did not have a chance to go to college for a lot of reasons when they were younger - and this included leaving becuase they were gay and got major hassle, or they had hassle at home and had to leave which meant having to give up on school.

While I am first in the queue to support changes to attitudes and programmes in mainstream schools in Ireland and elsewhere - its clear that these changes are slow to happen, homophobes will always exist in terms of staff, parents and pupils and queer kids will always suffer in some way. The reality in Ireland is that some young people who are lgbt will always drop out and nobody seems to care.

The funding of this school is recognition of homophobia in society and recognition of the the rights of all youth to an education and the kids at this school can't just opt to go to it cos they are gay - its for lgbt kids who have been having a really bad time and have no or low self esteem. From what I saw this school saves and rebuilds lives. Would rather my taxes went there than to supporting the homophobes.


Best wishes


Suzy

Annasopra

Discussion going on here as well

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=107857