http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/07/28/...index.html
NEW YORK (AP) -- 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."
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What'd ya think? I'm for it. Kids can't concentrate on their studies when they have to endure shit from other students and other teachers every day. It's not segregation, since nobody will have to go to that school unless they want to. It's a good option for teens to have, IMHO.
That's different but it still doesn't rank with a teen only nudist camp in Florida.
*makes the tradtional symbol for a gun, and points it at his forehead*
This is just my opion, but this strikes my as dumb. As soon as they leave/graduate from school, they will STILL have to contin with the real world, and unfortunatly, they won't have much hands-on experience with dealing gay/lesbian prejuice when their being walled up in their own little private school.
Hey, I actaully spent 2nd-9th grade being harassed daily by bullies and such beacause of my physcial akwardness, but thanks to all of that torture, I've managed to channel it into a lesser force, and so, now-a-days what bullies do mostly strikes me as overused and a waste of time. If the homosexuals aren't in the same condition, they won't be equpped with experience needed in real life. That is unless dealing with such issues is taught in school, and even then, translating something from a textbook to real life is a BIG difference. In other words, what's happening is not going to be exactly the needed movment.
Aside from that, because of this, even more pressure is probably going to be put on them because of their uniqness at having a "special" school built just for them. It's as if we're trying to raise them to everyon'es elses level. Is this project really needed?
Well, shit. Yet another odd venture into the still relatively new era of a society in which homosexuals are a large, active an official part.
I'm half and half about this. On the one hand, I do agree with Angeteen that the queers need to grow some balls (Or uh...something like that) and stand up for themselves...but on the other hand, there are some cases where there have been some serious-ass violence against openly gay high schoolers (Matt Shepard, for example) and they may seriously need to change their environment.
And I can't help but be curious as to what goes on in the locker rooms...
Anus Wrote:And I can't help but be curious as to what goes on in the locker rooms...
Comming soon to an unlisted adult only strores in some tiny no name countries: "Little Boys Gone Wild!" Yessh, I could see where that can be a problem. Fortunately, USA serves stiff penalities for filming anyone under 18 and selling kiddie porn, usually life in the slammer.
I think the school, for some part, is a bad idea as the kids don't have any experience in dealing with harassment and rejection like they'd normally get in public school.
OTOH the kidws could leave the school much smarter and better educated because of the less hositile enviroment. Now if they can get in college without getting rejected, they'd be set.
The best anyone can do at this time is the usual wait-and-see
It's either that, or do what I do...learn to expect the worse. That way, when the worse does happen (and in this situation, it is very likely it will) you won't be caught with your pants down (pun intended).
... This is a Bad idea. I agree with Angeteen about the 'grow some balls' arguement, but I got a little beef of my own.
Back in the day when biggots ran around to find every colored man he could, there was a little thing called the Black School and the White School. I promise you that this Gay/Lez school is going to cause a situation just as large as the one that brought down Segrigation.
There are only a few events that will come from this School, Here are Three of the biggest I can think of.
1. The school is a big, big succes, and other school districts in other parts of the nation pick up the Idea. Suddenly, the County school system is screwed for cash, then funding for teachers and school supplies go down the drain, and every child is going to have a horrible education
2. The school isn't a very big success, and somewhere along the Way someone is going to start cutting funding. Then the Gay community Will Cry 'Wolf', and we'll get into a big trial over equal rights, ending up with the Gay school closed instead of just loosing funding.
3. The school is a big success, and They begen to be built across the nation. Soon, the Gay/lez schools get good funding while normal schools loose funding as some guy in power thinks that if he were to cut funds or not keep the G/L schools well supplied, someone will call him a Homophobe and he wont get re-elected. So Normal schools began to get a decreasing fund supply until someone calls the Equal rights on the Gay/Lez school because it's better funded than normal schools, then after some massive court case normal school and Gay/lez schools are re-integrated and Have a Don't Ask-Don't tell Polocy like the army and to call someone gay is a fine of 10,000 dollars.
In My Opinion, A Gay/Lez school will not be a wise investment. Now don't get me wrong, they could succed without too much hassle, but it would be hard. That and they would have to make a Gay/lez collage so they wouldn't get hassled out of grade school..... So I'm just going to say it. Gay/lez school is going to cost the government big time.
Angeteen Wrote:This is just my opion, but this strikes my as dumb. As soon as they leave/graduate from school, they will STILL have to contin with the real world, and unfortunatly, they won't have much hands-on experience with dealing gay/lesbian prejuice when their being walled up in their own little private school.
This almost sounds like an attempt to justify homophobia. "Well, they're gonna get discriminated against, mocked, and beaten up for the rest of their lives. Might as well get 'em started when they're young!"
I know those aren't your words but it's just how I view that argument. Face it. Gay kids don't get any support in public schools. Half of the time the teachers are in on the bullying, if only by not stopping it when they know it's going on. Kids don't learn how to deal with homophobia, they just internalize their anger and either end up lashing out against others or themselves.
Public schools can't teach morals. They try to but they fail. I mean, they tried to teach all of us to "Say no to drugs!", but did it really make a difference? I don't think so. Just the same, they can't teach tolerance. Not that they've really tried to.
I don't really know how this school is going to be different from other high schools but I'm sure that dealing with homophobia in society would be a big part of both the program and the atmosphere of the school. I would bet that students who graduate from Harvey Milk (and if you don't know who that is, visit your local library to find out) High would be better prepared to deal with homophobia and queer bashing than your average group of kids that come out of public high schools.
That's just speculation though. If I turn out to be wrong about that then I really wouldn't see what good the whole school was anyway.
Anus Wrote:On the one hand, I do agree with Angeteen that the queers need to grow some balls (Or uh...something like that) and stand up for themselves...
It sounds so simple, doesn't it?
Also, I'm pretty sure Matt Shepard was in his 20's or at least out of HS. I'm pretty sure he met his killers at a bar.
InsaneImpmon Wrote:Comming soon to an unlisted adult only strores in some tiny no name countries: "Little Boys Gone Wild!" Yessh, I could see where that can be a problem. Fortunately, USA serves stiff penalities for filming anyone under 18 and selling kiddie porn, usually life in the slammer.
I think the school, for some part, is a bad idea as the kids don't have any experience in dealing with harassment and rejection like they'd normally get in public school.
Again, why should harassment be accepted? It's not a fact of life that every kid needs to deal with. It's wrong.
And wer are dealing with high schoolers here, not "little boys". Yeah, underage is underage, whether you're 6 or 16, but really, this isn't going to be a giant orgy just because it's full of gay kids. Shower cameras in the locker rooms? That's kind of a stretch there. Yeah, that shit does happen but is the odds of it happening at this school so much more likely than it happening anywhere else?
Also I'm sure there will be girls there too. This isn't gonna be some yaoi soap opera.
JaxomZero Wrote:Back in the day when biggots ran around to find every colored man he could, there was a little thing called the Black School and the White School. I promise you that this Gay/Lez school is going to cause a situation just as large as the one that brought down Segrigation.
But it's not segregation. Students in this case have a choice.
quicksand_boy Wrote:But it's not segregation. Students in this case have a choice.
Dude, I didn't call This Segrigation. I said that this would bring about a very similare massive court case, Like Segrigation. I understand that students have a choice, choices are always good. I never bashed the people who would want to go to the school. I only was angery at the fact that the people who run, support and attempt to bring the Idea to other school systems will make mistakes, big ones. I think I went a little overboard on the Ideas about who's a homophobe in high places. those days have been long gone, but there is always the chance.
But the real problem I am addressing is the funding for the school. It may be ok in New York City, they may have a well funded school system. but where I live, each time a new highschool pops up (which is basicaly every year), the school system has to drop a few teachers, has to cut back on books, killl a few programs, due to funding and lack of support. Now if this idea takes off and suddenly, ever school system want's to build one or two All gay/lez schools in addition to the schools they must build for area growth, then they are going to be spending a lot of money.
And by the way, Quicksand, mabey where you come from, there might not be rampant fag-haters, but believe me, some places there are, so don't assume that were trying to justify homophobia. In fact, This school, could be a very bad way to shelter Gay/lez students. My school tried something called the 'Gay/strait club'. It's design was basicaly the Moral issues of this new Gay/lez school. give them somewhere they can talk about prejudices and how to overcome them. The Club lasted for a few weeks, got seriously flamed a few times, a few strait guys joined up, and were instantly labled gay. let me tell you this, sepperating people on any unnessecary basis is dangerous.
yes there are cases where the Gay/lez in question is in dire need of help, where someone is making attempts or planning to physicaly harm him because of his sexual preference. But people everyday are threatened and harmed, what makes the gay and lesbian community so different with what they need to do. They go to the police like everyone else. people get murdered all the time. some get murdered for their money, some get murdered for no reason, some get murdered for ordering a martini instead of a bud. They all get handled the same, the cases go to the police and the police does what it can. I'm not justifying the killing of Gays here. anyone who thinks that is obviously afraid of admiting that he/she is a homophobe themselves.
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