Good idea.
(CNN) -- Public school officials in Chicago, Illinois, are recommending approval of a "gay-friendly" high school because harassment and violence are causing gay students to skip class and drop out at alarming rates.
School officials say the proposed school would offer a welcoming, harassment-free environment for gay students.
School officials say the proposed school would offer a welcoming, harassment-free environment for gay students.
The School for Social Justice Pride Campus, which officials say will not be exclusive to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, is aimed at being safe and welcoming for any student looking for another school option, said Josh Edelman, executive officer in the Chicago Public Schools' Office of New Schools.
"It is not going to be a 'gay high school,' but yes, in a way, it is meant to target kids who feel they have been victims of bullying for their sexual orientation or perceived orientation," Edelman said.
Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan announced his recommendation Wednesday. Officials said Pride Campus would be separate physically but be attached administratively to the School for Social Justice.
School officials said the standards and curriculum for the school would be in line with other schools in the district. The school would also offer counseling for students, though because of federal laws, officials cannot ask students about their sexual orientation. The curriculum would not rely on, but would incorporate lessons about, sexual identity in history and literature classes, officials said.
"It's about creating another option for kids," Edelman said. "When it comes down to it, though, it is all about having a choice and providing high-quality options for students, whether they are gay or not."
The school could be a lifeline for students who are struggling for academic success. Video Is this school the best way to combat bullying? ยป
Gay and lesbian students are three times more likely to miss school because they feel unsafe, according to a 2003 Chicago Public School District survey. And a study released Wednesday by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network showed similar trends across the country.
The national study, which the group says is the most comprehensive report ever on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students nationwide, found that 86.2 percent of those students reported being verbally harassed, 44.1 percent physically harassed and 22.1 percent physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation.
This harassment, the study concludes, has affected students' ability to achieve success in school, causing their grade-point level to be, on average, half a point lower than that of heterosexual students nationwide.
Dropout levels are higher among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students because of more frequent truancy, the study found. Almost 32 percent of those students missed a class because of feeling unsafe, compared with only 5.5 percent of heterosexual students nationwide, the study said.
Truancy and lower grades aren't the only repercussions of anti-gay sentiments in schools, said Kevin Jennings, the founder and executive director of GLSEN. He cited the killing of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old student shot by a classmate in Oxnard, California, in February after King asked to be his valentine.
Jennings said the repercussions of harassment alone underscore the need for Pride Campus.
"If we keep doing nothing, we are going to keep getting these horrifying levels of harassment, greater rates of skipping, not going to college and more tragic violence like the murder of Lawrence King," he said. "Those are our choices. We can continue to do nothing, and we know the results, or we can save young people's lives and offer them an education and a future."
A similar school in New York, the Harvey Milk High School in the East Village, was created because of similar fears.
The school, which had been around since 1985, serving gay and lesbian students, expanded to a "gay-themed" school for 100 students in 2003. The Pride Campus is expected to serve 600 students, school officials said.
Harvey Milk High School, like the Pride Campus, is open to all students regardless of sexual orientation. But unlike the proposed school in Chicago, Harvey Milk requires its attendees to be at risk of dropping out because of harassment.
Harvey Milk boasts a graduation rate of 95 percent of its students -- all of whom were at risk of or had dropped out -- well above the city average of 52 percent.
When the school opened its doors, protesters, led by anti-gay Kansas minister Fred Phelps, screamed at supporters gathered outside to repent for their "sodomite behavior."
Edelman said that while some concerns have been raised about Pride Campus at community meetings, officials have not heard any large-scale opposition.
One Chicago resident said at a meeting that he could not support the school because of his religious beliefs, Edelman said. Others told local media they didn't support the use of public money to create the school. Some thought that if gay students went to the Pride Campus, students in other schools would not learn to accept the gay community. Instead, they suggested, the focus should be working toward acceptance in all schools.
"Absolutely, we should work for [acceptance] across the board," said Jennings, the GLSEN executive director. "But it's not going to change overnight, and in the meantime, these kids aren't going to graduate."
Jennings said that GLSEN research shows acceptance among peers is helped by having a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender support group at school.
The most important factor, according to the GLSEN study, is the existence of a state law that protects students from harassment based on their sexual orientation.
Thirty-nine states, including Illinois and New York, do not have laws offering that specific protection, Jennings said citing the GLSEN study. Some have laws, but they don't specify on what basis the protections apply, which Jennings said was essentially as effective as having no law at all. California, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin are the only states with specific sexual orientation protections for students.
The Chicago School Board will vote October 22 to approve the School for Social Justice Pride Campus in addition to 17 other proposed schools.
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As far as Jennings is concerned, the school board's choice is an easy one.
"The choice they are making is not should we have this kind of school," he said. "The question is 'Are we going to do anything we can to get these kids an education?' And there's only one right answer -- yes."
Ok... I don't get this!?? Why all of a sudden do gay kids get a "safe haven"? Why are they now a protected group? Why not give the gangbangers a safe haven too? Put the Latin kings in one high school, and the disciples in another one. They are more likely to have violence happen to them than the gay kids. This is just an excuse to shove the gay agenda into our school systems. Like the "Heather has two mommy's" thing.
What if that particular High School is targeted for that reason alone? What then?
You know what? sure, give them a gay H.S. and let them loose and see how their little rainbow turns dark. You will then see that they will prey on each other. What will you do then? Segregate them even further? Lesbians here, homesexuals there, transgenders over there??? The school system is retarded. One would think, gee the people in charge of the school board all have degrees, they're pretty smart, but I guess the more you know the dumber you are. I suppose that if ignorance is bliss, then being on the Chicago school board makes you gay (happy) too.
there's my 2 cents take it or leave it.
This is totally a forwarding of the Gay agenda. Any time the gay community appears oppressed it allows them to further that agenda. I think we are behind in education because our school systems are more focused on helping (forcing) kids to learn about and question who they are rather than learn about and question the world around them. They are going to take a bunch of kids who are probably more confused than the average confused teen and force them to learn that values don't exist and they never have. Mentioning that poor teen who was shot in California really made me afraid to send my kids to school. I'm afraid that the system is going to force my kids to repeatedly question who they are by allowing some confused kid to ask them to be their gay valentine. If we stuck to teaching facts about the world and actually provided discipline in our education system, then harrassment would be decreased and our kids could wait until college to be confused. It's called accountability! We started by teaching our kids it doesn't exist and now our schools are trying to operate under the same myth.
I don't think this is pushing the 'gay agenda'-but I don't see a positive outcome of something like this. Having a school like this is not addressing anything. In fact, with violence against gays in general, I would think this has the potential to make the situation worse. What better invitation for a homophobe than a 'gay high school'. Instead of going after one they can go after many. mainstrean schools could provide the counseling and programs for gay students.
I see this more of a disaster.
This is not pushing a gay agenda and I think that think that the gay community would take offense to being compared to the Latin Kings. The fact that there would even be talk about needing to SEGREGATING the gay students due to uncontrolable violence is atrocious. When will this country pull its head out of its ass and start accepting or at least tolerating people. This bigotry makes me sick!
Just saying...
But I also think that this would be a great waste of funding for the school district.
simon8or: I'll leave it. Can you construct a comment filled with any more ignorance or bigotry?
Jody Butler: There is no gay agenda, that's something made up by right wing homophobes and fundamentalists who still cling to stupid ideas like homosexuality is teachable or learnable...that's just rot.
Grow up.
Let me tell you about ignorance and bigotry. These two words are labels that the God hating people in the world put on those who disagree with them, because they don't have a real argument or real answers.
Let me also tell you about the word "homophobia", this word implies that people are afraid of gays; that is obsurd!
I would re-label the word homophobic to "homobedis", or homosexual behavioral disagreement, because frankly; it's not fear (phobia), it's disagreement in behavior. We don't fear the "homo's" we disagree with their behavior.
With that said, here is my real beef with this issue. I don't like the school system using our taxpayer $$ to promote one group over another. If you do it for Peter, then do it for Paul as well. Don't discriminate others because they don't behave like you. Don't use my tax dollars to promote your "AGENDA", and don't give me that c.r.a.p about "there is no gay-agenda", there is. Otherwise we wouldn't be talking about it, would we??
simon8or
That statement in itself is a product of bigotry and ignorance. You figure that because someone doesn't believe in your religiously assumed values, that they are God-hating?
Fear takes many forms, often times it surfaces as bigotry and hatred, sometimes as physical violence. You may not think of it as fear, but it is at its root.
How is having a schools comprised of mostly gay student where they can attend classes without fear of harassment a problem for you? Who exactly is the group losing out?
Puhlease...It was you who brought the gay agenda idea up and that's why we are talking about it. What on earth is the gay agenda, pray tell?
cul...
Why so paronoid? If you owe nothing, then there's nothing to fear. It almost seems that you like to disect other people's comments just for arguments sake. What is your take on this? Don't you have an opinion? or do you just like to argue with and criticize those who do?
We can go back and forth with circular arguments and not come to any agreements so let's just leave it at. the only thing I ask is:
"Don't use my tax dollars for Happy High"!!
If you want to fund your own "Gay High" , put on your high heels, sell cookies or whatever, raise the money and knock yourself out.
The minute you involve the school system, then it's my problem, because you are funding things out of my tax dollars, I won't have it.
I'm from Chicago, if I have to get a couple lawyers to put an end to this I will.
Everybody else builds their own S**t, why can't the homo's do it too??
end of convo...you're a moron.
I believe I have proven my point. Cul has no opinion and the only defense he has is to insult others who he disagree with him. No a very bright contender. Next time you decide to take a stance on anything try proving your point.
Try the mickey's playhouse blog next time. You might convince some one there.
BTW - your insults only prove my point further.
nope, you're just not worth the energy, troll