Gay High

[Joe DeFuria]

(Title of thread comes from the headline in the print issue of the newpaper, as seen on the NYPost home page.)

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/1711.htm

The city is opening a full-fledged high school for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students - the first of its kind in the nation, The Post has learned.

Operating for two decades as a small alternative program with just two classrooms, the new Harvey Milk HS officially opens as a stand-alone public school with 100 students in September.

The school, located at 2 Astor Place, is undergoing a $3.2 million in city-funded renovations approved by the old Board of Education in June of last year.

What the hell is going on in New York? (Assuming this is true, and it's a public school.)

I don't understand what sort of rationale could possibly be behind this? What are the requirements for attendance?

I could care less if someone want to open this as a private school...but this is either seriously wrong, or something is seriously missing in this story...

 

[Malo]

Harvey Milk HS

LOL

to quote Lisa Simpson.... "apt I say! apt!"

 

[jvd]

Mabye there are to many problems with gay people being beaten or something else ? Not sure but hey if it helps gay people and lesbians (why two diffrent words for the same thign ? never got that) fit in and find other people like them well that might be a good thing . Better than feeling like an unwanted outcast if that is the case. Many bigots out there .

 

[John Reynolds]

I don't understand what sort of rationale could possibly be behind this? What are the requirements for attendance?

I imagine you have to blow the principle or gym teacher.

 

[Natoma]

The Hetrick Martin Institute in NYC is for gay students who have been so badly abused in their public school or private school that they have no other recourse but to leave the system. This school is basically expanding the concept.

I've gone to Hetrick Martin a few times and seen the facilities. It's a very classy school with quality teachers and a peaceful environment for gay students to learn in without fear of physical/mental/emotional abuse wrt their sexual orientation.

I was a little surprised when I read the article this morning on msnbc because I didn't know they had the ambition to expand, but I think it's a good thing. Many students have taken advantage of Hetrick Martin to engage in an education. I'm sure there are many others who would do the same if there is room.

 

[Joe DeFuria]

Mabye there are to many problems with gay people being beaten or something else ?

As the article suggests...then where's the public schools for fat kids? (Or nerds, or other social outcasts who get "beaten or something else".)

Not sure but hey if it helps gay people and lesbians (why two diffrent words for the same thign ? never got that) fit in and find other people like them well that might be a good thing .

Maybe, maybe not. That's not the point I'm trying to make.

Better than feeling like an unwanted outcast if that is the case. Many bigots out there .

How does being surrounded by "non bigots" in a protective schools all their lives, prepare one to deal with the real-life bigots when they get out?

I really don't want this to get into a "good idea / bad idea" type debate. I'm sure there can be good reasons given for having a "gay school", just as there could be good reasons for having a school that only has ANY other group of people with some common trait. (Christians, all male, all female, all computer nerds, etc...)

The point is, the governement has no business in doing this. Tax dollars have no business in being spent this way.

 

[Tim Murray]

A PUBLIC school?! What the HELL?!

Make it a Catholic school and EVERYBODY WINS!

(See, I'm Catholic. I'm allowed to say that.)

Now, in all honesty, how is this not the same principle as segregation (in two weeks, some friends of mine start school at a palce where they are the 5 white people in the school of 750, and if they can make it THERE, then anyone could deal with it anywhere.)?

 

[Joe DeFuria]

The Hetrick Martin Institute in NYC is for gay students who have been so badly abused in their public school or private school that they have no other recourse but to leave the system.

So, what do "other students who have been so badly abused and no recourse" do?

This school is basically expanding the concept.

Apparently.

I've gone to Hetrick Martin a few times and seen the facilities. It's a very classy school with quality teachers and a peaceful environment for gay students to learn in without fear of physical/mental/emotional abuse wrt their sexual orientation.

That's all well and good. Set up a private institution though.

I was a little surprised when I read the article this morning on msnbc because I didn't know they had the ambition to expand, but I think it's a good thing.

As I said before, sure, it can be a good thing. It can also be a good thing to have a school for fat & ugly kids too. Doesn't mean we should have public funds to create a separate school for it though.

 

[jvd]

As the article suggests...then where's the public schools for fat kids? (Or nerds, or other social outcasts who get "beaten or something else".)

Where would i have gone . I was fat , taller than everyone else , had a speech problem , had glasses , braces and a nerd ..... god i hated school .

 

[arjan de lumens]

The homepage of the school can be found here: http://www.hmi.org/.

The motivation for forming this school at all seems to be that high schools in general seem to be the places where homosexuals suffer the most severe harrassment, and that homosexuals, much like black people or other minorities, have a right not to be harrassed for what they are born as - and in this case, putting them in a separate school seems to be the easiest way to ensure that their rights are not all trampled over.

 

[Joe DeFuria]

The motivation for forming this school at all seems to be that high schools in general seem to be the places where homosexuals suffer the most severe harrassment, and that homosexuals, much like black people or other minorities, have a right not to be harrassed for what they are born as -

So where are the public schools for blacks or other minorities? I thought the idea of government segregation was not only bad, but illegal?

..and in this case, putting them in a separate school seems to be the easiest way to ensure that their rights are not all trampled over.

Wht about my rights to have access to the same "quality" learning conditions as described by Natoma? You're basically saying that it's OK to trample on one group's rights in favor of another?

I don't recall the Constitution granting anyone the "right" to be more or less harassed by other people anywhere. (Or else we WOULD have public schools for all the read-headed step-children out there.) More or less harassed by the law / government? Yup, that's in the Constitution alright....and the existence of this school goes completely agaist that.

 

[Malo]

this just sounds like segregation to me. what happens to all the students whom graduate from this school yet have problems socialising with hetero given their lack of exposure? IMO one must deal with harrasement as it will be there after school as well.

In a system where precedence rules, this is a bad precedent to initiate. It creates opportunity for more segregation of society. black people harrassed? have a black only school.... a jewish community not fitting in with the public school sector? just specify one of the public schools to be jewish only.

a BAD idea if you ask me...

 

[arjan de lumens]

To me, it looks more like a variant of affirmative action than traditional segregation - at least as long as the homosexual students aren't forced into this school.

 

[Natoma]

This is a school like any other. You go if you wish to and have the academics, as well as extenuating circumstances at your current school. No one forces it on anyone.

Some of the stories I read about when I visited hetrick were those of gay students whose lockers had been set on fire with shit inside, one student who had suffered a fractured face, and another student who was badly bruised everywhere. This school isn't for people who experience a "normal level" of bullying in their educational lives.

 

[Joe DeFuria]

This is a school like any other.

Any other segregationist school? Yes.

You go if you wish to and have the academics, as well as extenuating circumstances at your current school. No one forces it on anyone.

All NYC residents are forced to pay for it. (And perhaps NY State and even federal funds for all I know). It IS forced.

Some of the stories I read about when I visited hetrick were those of gay students whose lockers had been set on fire with shit inside...

That is completely besides the point. There are horror stories about ALL students about mistreatment. It's not limited to gays, you know.

This school isn't for people who experience a "normal level" of bullying in their educational lives.

No, in fact, I don't believe being bullied is a requirement at all. Doesn't say so on their pages that I can find...

 

[Natoma]

Unfortunately gay students tend to get the worst of it in these kinds of situations. There is a reason why gay teens are 4-7 times more likely to commit suicide than straight teens, not to mention the supremely higher chances of getting kicked out of one's home for their sexuality.

Also, this is nothing like segregation. Segregation was forced upon minority students by the government. This is an option for gay students if the school system abuse becomes too overwhelming. This isn't the government saying "Ok you're gay, so you have to go here because gays and straights should be separate." This is a last resort for those who desperately need it.

 

[Dr. Ffreeze]

BAH,

I don't understand why they don't make a school for seriously abused kids, not a school for seriously abused kids that have a particular sexual preference. (edit: if such a school is needed in the first place)

Admissions Office: I am sorry Steve, while you have been beat senseless on a number of occasions by your peers, you like girls so we can't let you in.

Dr. Ffreeze

 

[DemoCoder]

How about a school for nerds? Ugly people? Outcasts? Goth's? Bullied people?

Far more kids are bullied and harassed everyday compared to gays, to the point that we get episodes like Columbine.

 

[antlers]

How about this: Everyone who wants to can go there. However, because of the way it is set up, it is unlikely that people who do not self-identify as 'gay' would want to go there.

Does that still count as discriminatory?

 

[Fred]

There is a school for nerds.. Its called MIT =D

Still, I don't care if its just one school for extreme cases of abuse, frankly it sounds more like a mental clinic to me. Still, If more of them start opening up, then yes there would be a problem.

I suspect the school could be sued though very easily.