NYC to Open Gay High School...
 

NEW YORK, July 28 — 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.”

Yeah I just checked out an article about that. I don't think that taxpayer dollars should be going to this school. I think as a private school it'd be fine, but I think it's inappropriate to have a special gay public school.

You bring up a good point about taxpayer dollars. I don't think they could restrict enrollment if this is a public school. Watch someone file a lawsuit.

Hm.. this is a tough one. I know that high school can be a tough place for GLBT teens, but I'm not sure about the stigma of a 'gay' high school. It's giving credence to the idea that gay people are "special" and need separate institutions in order to survive. In a society where gays and lesbians are fighting to be seen as more normal (i.e., gay marriages), I think this sends a conflicting message.

Devil's advocate...
 

Don't shoot me, but aren't Gays and Lesbians tax payers, too?

:confused:

Re: Devil's advocate...
 

I think that legally, they won't be able to discriminate in their enrollment policies. I think if there were to be a lawsuit, it would be a result of a heterosexual student being denied admittance. Even if they DID discriminate against heterosexual students, would a student or parent really have time to go through all that just to make a point?

I kinda thought that Harvey Milk was already a high school, but I see it was just a special program.

It is understandable why people might have a problem with the school. But I think it is also the responsibility of the school system to provide a safe environment for all of its students, an environment that is free from violence and persecution based on anything...in this case, sexual orientation.

Ideally, it would be best to change the system itself and guarantee equal protection for all students. But I don't think American schools have yet reached the point where they can guarantee ANY child's safety, much less a child who identifies as gay or lesbian.

Yup.

I saw a MTV True Life about a similar school in Dallas, TX called Walt Whitman High School. After seeing this program, I'm split on the issue. On one hand, yes some GLBT students may need an alternative to going to a public high school because they have a higher chance of a violent crimes happening to them in high school if they are open about their sexuality. I also think that often times teens need to enjoy high school with others whom they can identify with, so they can feel a sense of normality. If people are constantly ridiculing you and attacking your beliefs sooner or later you would want another option or you will quit school all together. Then on the other hand, alot of people have to go through alot of riducule and hard times in high school so what makes these teens different. Taking into account also that the GLBT society wants to be equal to everyone else, why should there be a separate school, it's hard to achieve that equality that you want if you are segregated from others.

I do not however think that the schools should be private, because everyone is entitled to an education no matter what their sexuality. If some of these teens do not feel comfortable in this environment then they need these alternatives. I compare this school to some of the schools set up for teens who are having children but want to continue their education. It may be an alternative for someone who may not otherwise go to school.

Just as with schools that are segregated by gender and race, an exclusively gay school will only shelter them. Once they go to college and get out in the real world, they will HAVE to deal with homophobes and vice versa. IMO I think it is better that they adapt at an early age, than having to deal w/ intolerance later on. I'm not even going there about colleges and jobs looking at their transcripts from a gay school-immediate disadvantage.

At the same time, I understand the want to create an environment where gay students will not be bothered because of their lifestyle, but I think isolation is a bad way of solving the problem of harrassment…especially being a public school…which comes out of our pockets. When will it stop? Will we have public schools for nerds, gothics, the ugly, etc?

What's next?
 

Are we going back to the days of segregation?

I was thinking of the same show, I just didn't remember where I'd seen it. I think it showed that no matter what type of school they're in there's still problems (i.e gossip, fighting, bullies etc.) Soon after they left the school they still had to face the harsh reality of the rest of the world.

I'd have to agree that I'm split down the middle too.:(

I don't think that this is such a great idea because it will shelter the kids and give them a false image of the world. Especially in a place like NYC which is in no way like the rest of the world. By going to a high school for their sexual orientations (trying to be PC here) it's not going to prepare these kids for what's going to happen to them when they get to college and have to come face-to-face with kids who don't support gay rights or who don't understand where they're coming from. Also, I think that by creating a high school based on sexual orientation of all things, the NYC Board of Ed is setting these kids up for trouble later on in life. Not all college admissions people are going to favor this and it might hurt the kids when they try to apply to schools. And I'm sorry, but let's face it, if I were a college admissions counselor, I would much rather read an essay about a gay kid who went to a regular high school and had to deal with the pressures involved and was able to come out of it on top and a stronger person for it than I would like to read an essay of a kid who couldn't deal or chose not to and took the easy way out by going to an all-gay high school. It shows that the kids who stuck around had more adversity and character.

Re: Devil's advocate...
 

but so is everyone else. if it's tax funded, then everyone else should be allowed to attend as well.


EDIT: whoops, buffalo soldier beat me to it.

Well, I totally disagree with this. Heck, at my old school, myself and several of my friends felt uncomfortable at times! We felt like, and were, the minority. I got called the "N" word, more than once I might add! I am not trying to discount what these teens go through, I am sure that it is hard. My point is that if someone started a high school for African-American students on the sole basis that those students felt discriminated against and then wanted to fund that school with federal dollars, a whole bunch of people would be upset about that.

High school is not a fun time for a LOT of people, but taking the weak/different/poor/minority/etc. out of the 'general population' is not going to help the situation, if anything it would give them a distorted view of the world.

I think that money, or a portion of it, would be better spent in implementing programs to teach sensitivity...that's the problem! The problem in these public schools is not the fact that the GBLT student are in attendence, the problem is the "chosen" few that decide to harrass those students. If school districts impose a no-tolerance type program for these offenders, and make themselves readily availble to those students claiming to have had problems, a lot of these issues would not escalate to a problem.

the harvey milk school does not discriminate to those that are heterosexual. it started off as a fantastic program for teenager that identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered, then opened up to troubled teens of all lifestyles.

i have mixed feelings about the school because although it is considered a safe space for those teens that are of that alternative lifetyle and helps them complete their education. it does not shelter them from the way of the world becoming a responsible adult.

i volunteer there as a advisor at HMI and love it.

as far as tax dollars are concern...i think the tax payers should be concerned about the drug abusers that are able to able to walk into hospitals and obtain free needles with no questions asked, or perhaps worry about why not enough tax dollars are going towards schools which are currently over crowded.

I am cautiously in favor of the project.

I don't think the school could legally refuse admission to any student regardless of sexual orientation, but a child who elected to go to that school would go with the understanding of the program's targets, cutting down the chances of hate crimes.

I will have to read more about how the school will operate and admission policies before making a decision.

Re: What's next?
 

I read this article yesterday, and my first thought was what 2D stated above.

I went to a high school that was 80% white, I live in a neighborhood that is about 80% white, I beleive that you have to learn to deal and adapt to things that are different from you in order to grow. This takes me back to that seperate but equal thing.....nope it wasn't right then, I don't feel that this is right now.

I have a question. Ok it was stated in the article this school is so GLB teens can go and feel comfortable and get their learn on right. Well what about on their way to school, or when they get out of school. I think that this is putting them at being more a target to hate-crimes because now they "haters" know exactly who they are, and can do bodily harm to them if they want when they are going to and from school. Just something to think about.

Taxpayer dollars usually support a lot of public schools with a special focus, ie, performing arts, gifted programs, vocational education. So, this school may be trying to just fit in with the rest of those, which means our dollars will still support them.

I think it's unfortunate that this school will open. How will the selection process be? Do you have to have your parent's permission? I didn't realize there were that many teens that were just so out that they would choose this type of school...there are usually just a few flamboyant ones at that age. But even the quiet, suspect ones might not be comfortable in that environment.

I also don't see how this is going to help the overall education process. Teasing, cliques and popularity contests are an unfortunate part of school. Are they going to start a school for kids with acne or kids who get picked on by bullies so that they can feel more comfortable too?

In NYC there are a number of GLBT folks with a LOT of money and a lot of influence.

The school is a done deal folks.

...and she comes out of hiding!!! :D How are you?

Re: Re: What's next?
 

This is EXACTLY what I thought when I first heard about this school. I could see this school getting HIT several times a week with hate crimes.

Right, but it is ILLEGAL for my students to attend a school that is exclusively for students with disabillities. What is the difference? :confused: I'm not totally comprehending this. I see all of it as a way of slyly getting back to segregation. Even though, I'm not totally against segregation (as far as education is concerned).

Sorry folks, but I do not agree with this public GLBT High School. Honestly, how many people really had it easy in high school? Kids get picked on, harassed, tauted, etc for ANY kind of reason (their clothes, race, car, parents, house, looks, clothing etc.).

I totally believe that schools and teens in general have become more prone to violent acts today period (which is a whole 'nother thread in itself). I am not saying that schools should not be held accountable for the safety of ALL students (or that ANY students should put up with verbal or physical abuse), but goodness........what's next?

A hetero-sexual ONLY school (for those that feel "threatened" or uncomfortable around homosexuals thereby distracting them from learning)? :confused:

Don't agree with it.

I honestly do not have a problem with kind of school at all. If the kids are being educated in an environment that is safer and more conducive to learning than the other schools can offer, then so be it. I'm not even worried about the tax dollars issue because my tax dollars fund a lot of programs and institutions that I probably don't agree with. That's life.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't starting this school technically illegal? When the Supreme Court reached it's decision in Plessy vs. Ferguson, it said that "separate but equal is equal" which basically gave the go-ahead for segregation. When it reached the decision for Brown vs. Board of Ed, it said that "separate but equal is inherently unequal" which was supposed to end segragation in public schools and institutions. By creating a public school for kids of only a certain sexual orientation, the NYC Board of Ed is going by the basis that "separate but equal is equal" which basically violates Supreme Court law.

DaisyKLP:

I, as a New York City resident, do not agree with the school. If it were a private school I'd have no problem at all, but this is inappropriate for a publicly funded institution.

Re: What's next?
 

DITTO!!!

DITTO
 

as a former resident, i know PLENTY of schools that can use some serious upgrades.

`Gay school' not state's only specialty school
 

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wi...-regional-wire

By MICHAEL GORMLEY
Associated Press Writer

July 30, 2003, 5:25 PM EDT


ALBANY, N.Y. -- When the nation's first public high school for gay and transgender students opens in the fall, it will join other "specialized schools" that include programs for pregnant teens and a school for racial justice.

Among the alternative public school programs is the Pregnant and Parenting Students programs in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, where the curriculum includes, a "Mommy and Me" course, staying healthy programs and classes in social skills. The program, which has 250 students at each site, offers onsite health services and is also open to young fathers-to-be.

Other alternative schools include:

_Several "international high schools" for immigrant children who don't speak English.

_Schools with flexible schedules for working students

_The Young Women's Leadership School, a small college preparatory school where girls wear uniforms and teachers are "advisers" called by their first names.

_The Choir Academy of Harlem that teaches through the arts in collaboration with the Boys and Girls Choirs of Harlem.

_The Urban Peace Academy in East Harlem where the curriculum is designed to "address issues of peace and justice, wealth and power, racism and oppression and the creation of ourselves and our cultures," according to the school's annual report.

Statewide, most alternative programs are through charter schools, created by law to experiment with innovation. These publicly supported schools include all-boys and all-girls schools and schools with multicultural approaches and new teaching techniques, said L. Jeffrey Perez of the Charter Schools Institute of the State University of New York.

Perez noted, however, that charter schools are open to all students and usually provide more assessments and accountability than required by the state.

The Pregnant and Parenting Students program and other specialty programs do not yet have that accountability and that has been a concern to state and federal officials.

These programs _ as opposed to the separate schools for girls, immigrants, gays and others _ are run not as schools, but are under the city Education Department. As such, the academic performance of students and the success of teachers and administrators can't be measured or tracked through the state's school report cards and standardized tests.

"Kids have to belong to schools," said state Education Department spokesman Tom Dunn. "There's just no accountability for a program so they have to be a registered school."

The state Board of Regents and the federal No Child Left Behind initiative, however, require these alternative programs to be reorganized as schools or as part of schools by the coming academic year, Dunn said. Accountability and performance, then, will be measured by the same standards used in mainstream public schools, including the Regents tests required of all New York students.

City Department of Education spokesman Kevin Ortiz said the programs are still evolving to provide the kind of accountability required by state and federal laws. He said the programs and alternative schools provide choice to parents and nontraditional ways to motivate and serve students.

State Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long, who condemns the Harvey Milk High School for gay and transgender students, praises many of the alternative schools that often have smaller classes and themes that interest and attract like-minded students.

"Most of those schools sort of lift up the student, are sort of a helping hand," Long said. "Some are driven philosophically, but they are open to students. The Harvey Milk School ... goes way behind that. It really is more of a social engineering school."

He said he also supports the pregnant and parenting program.

"A pregnant girl has special needs and I applaud the (city) Board of Education for having that kind of program and not promoting abortion," Long said.


Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press

Opponents of Gay School Display Their Bigotry
 

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/...-ny-columnists

by Sheryl McCarthy

July 31, 2003

Trying to reach anybody at the Harvey Milk School over the last few days was like trying to get through to the Oval Office.

The principal was busy interviewing staff for the coming school year, the receptionist told me, while the school's press spokeswoman was tied up in meetings with Department of Education officials. Moreover, they've been bombarded with inquiries since Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that this tiny, privately run school for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youths is about to become a bona fide New York public school - the first public high school for homosexual students in the country.

The mayor's announcement provoked a howl from the usual opponents of change and accommodation to anyone not in the mainstream. Some editorial writers compared running a public school for homosexual students to running racially segregated schools in the old South.

Are gay students the only ones who face harassment, they asked, snidely inquiring whether there's any such subject as "gay math"? And what will come next, they demanded to know, a school for Haitian kids, for Russian immigrants? Goodness gracious! And so un-American.

One columnist inveighed that the government ought not be running a school whose values go against the Bible, the Quran, the Torah and the Buddhist scriptures.

Please. I'm sick of people who, in the guise of supporting equality and promoting the American values we supposedly all share, practice bigotry.

When I visited Harvey Milk 15 years ago, in its modest lodgings in Manhattan's meatpacking district, it was run by the Hetrick-Martin Institute, an organization devoted to supporting the needs of homosexual youths which has run the school up until now. Its 20 students were refugees from the anxiety, abuse and even violence they had suffered at regular public schools.

The school appeared to be working beautifully. I met Maria, an 18-year-old lesbian who left her Queens high school where students called her "dyke" and where her family felt she was an embarrassment to her niece, also a student there. Finnegan, 19, had dropped out of his Queens high school, where he constantly caught flak, had been harassed by his Jehovah's Witness family, left home, attempted suicide and wound up in a psychiatric hospital. Donna, a lesbian who'd been called "she-man" at her former school, could never come to class before without getting picked on.

At Harvey Milk, they found a comfortable place where they could study and develop themselves without the distractions of a hostile environment.

You might infer from some recent developments that society's growing acceptance of homosexuality precludes the need for a separate high school. But David Buckle, an attorney at the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, says the organization still gets calls from students who are cornered in gym locker rooms and dark hallways, and who have to leave home for school earlier than other students to avoid being attacked on the bus and so they can hide until the school bell rings.

Buckle described the expansion of Harvey Milk as a very positive thing. "It's too bad that it has to happen, but thank goodness that it has."

One of the great things about New York is its willingness to try to accommodate so many different kinds of people in a constructive way. One million public school children already choose from a dizzying array of schools geared to a wide spectrum of personal interests and proclivities. They include schools for students who use sign language, who sing and dance and play instruments, those who want to do automotive work, and girls who want to develop leadership skills without the distraction of boys. Surely, there's room for a school for fewer than 200 gay and lesbian students.

One of the final acts of the former Board of Education before it was demolished and replaced by the Department of Education was to vote to make Harvey Milk a full-fledged public high school and to set aside the money to expand its physical space. I think the old board went out in style.
Copyright © 2003, Newsday, Inc.

I am all for it! As mentioned earlier we have schools that sometimes need to meet the needs of children in "special" situations. I am not about shielding kids from reality in order to give them a false sense of the real world, but if and I have had a young man or woman come to school in the process of experimenting with living as the opposite sex there is no way they would be left alone. As a teacher I realize if a student is not comfortable at school they will not and cannot learn effectively. Does that mean everywhere you go in society you need to have a special niche carved for you? No way. However when developing the foundation to be a succesful adult your teenage years are pivotal, and creating an enviroment where it is understood this is the exception to the rule HOWEVER "we recognize that you may need a special setting to be giving a fair chance" is fine. I don't beilieve in using race as a comparison to being homesexual but if that is the case. What about after school programs and for that matter in school programs designed to help minorirtes succed in the real world? In Texas we are flooded with the need for ESL teachers (English as a second language) and programs. I was in a program the focused on sending African-Americans to college in high school, as taxpayers if we condone one special group of people based on injustice that STILL occurs then it is fair to extend that courtesy to other groups who STILL face obstacles when trying to obtain an education. We as a nation cannot afford to allow any group of students gay, straight black or white to miss out on education. Maybe growing up in the bay area has me more liberal, but since I really went to school with people like these teenagers and I am a teacher I know that education has to be a priority if we want to be succesful as a nation.

I agree with Michael Long

*bump*

Sweet 'n' sour
on Harvey Milk



By JOE WILLIAMS
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Protesters waving signs of hate were far outnumbered by cheering throngs greeting students yesterday as classes began at the newly expanded Harvey Milk High School for gay and lesbian teens.
Police escorted students into the East Village school as 250 supporters lined Astor Place - largely shielding the teens from a dozen protesters brandishing banners reading "God Hates F---" and "Repent."

"For those of you who say this school is unnecessary, I would refer you to some of the signs and comments from over there," said City Council Speaker Gifford Miller (D-Manhattan), pointing to the demonstrators.

The school was founded in 1985 as a small nonprofit program run by the Hetrick-Martin Institute.

Over the summer, education officials announced that Harvey Milk would become a full-fledged city high school, eventually housing 170 students.

The plan sparked a national controversy and a lawsuit contending that the school would illegally segregate gay and lesbian teens.

Protester Rueben Israel branded the supporters of the school as hypocrites.

"These people say, 'Accept us for who we are but don't accept anybody else,'" he said.

But Dino Portalatin, 19, of Brooklyn, a recent graduate of Harvey Milk, said he was picked on so much in a traditional high school that he began playing hooky.

"I felt I would be better off dead than to deal with what came with going to school," Portalatin said.

Chancellor Joel Klein said he was disappointed that the school's $3.2 million expansion generated so much negative publicity.

"I'm saddened, because it is a school that works," he said.