We need less separatist schools and more people like my 6th Grade teacher.

We need less separatist schools and more people like my 6th Grade teacher.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Like I said to Chris, I am sorry these things had to happen to you, the fact that you grew up to be a loving man, is not a miracle it is a credit to your character.

Children of all races, creed, genders, and sexual preference are tortured by their peers if they are seen as different, I feel that that is not an excuse to shoot up your school. There are many factors that go into creating who you are and how you deal with things. Using teasing as an excuse for what those boys did in Colorado is not an answer either.

i do understnad what you are saying but to answer your question:

no, i would not take the money from that school and channel it into other programs, for a number of reasons. first and foremost, yes, it is very very sad that it has come to this, but something has to be done for/with the kids who are currently at risk, and this is what it has come to. these programs take time to change things, and given that many, many teachers and principals either turn a blind eye to such thins, or tell the at risk kids that the other kids wouldn't do these things if the at risk kid would not act that way (happened to me at the time of my coming out), i do not trust that it would be effective.

also, considering religious fundamentalists are very very adept at censoring such programs, or having them rendered non-mandatory (see sex ed, hiv awareness, teen pregnancy awareness, evolution), i do not think that such a program would succeed. no to mention that you are going to have parents at home completely undermining and positive effects that the program would have by telling their kids that it's just a PC thing to do, or whatever.

as well, it should not have to be the chool that teaches this. it should be the parents. it is just the sad sad state of america where parents teach their kids to hate.

Sweeny79 said:

I didn't say it was an answer but I certainly can understand wanting the people who tortured me daily to be dead.

Read both mine and Cborgs accounts of what we face as gay youth in the school system. It isn't pretty and it's not right. I also don't agree with segregation but until there is a comprehensive plan to battle this problem, a solution is better than none.

I agree with the notion that segregation would fail to prepare us for the challenges we face in society but the attitude I've heard most is why should we be treated special. My question, is it special to insure the safety and education of children? We shouldn't have to face very real physical and emotional danger so that people can feel comfortable not dealing with the issue.

People wonder why I'm so outspoken as a gay person. I've been through horrors in my life and I will always, till the day I die, try to educate and prevent the future from having this as their life.

cborgman said:

I respect what your saying. It seems to be a lose-lose situation. Both sides have advantages and disadvantages, and unfortunately, there will always be people who will not accept those different from themselves, but I can't shake the idea that segregation would help matters any.

oh, i agree with you completely. i think it is sad sad sad, but iat this moment, it seems to be the best option. i think that HMHS is still only accepting those who have no other choice, who are kids so at risk that they will drop out or kill themselves.

cborgman said:

okay, now that we've agreed in here, could YOU GET BACK TO "AS THE ORG TURNS"

puhleeeze!



...it's been my diversion in a frustrating day...

Anxiety said:

Stop the presses...

Go back and read the story about how I got tackled during flag football and then one of the kids who tackled me simulating fucking me in the ass. That had everything to do with me being gay. I think you are misguided here.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

No it does have to do with difference,

For example:

I grew up and live in a WHITE town, not predominantly white, I mean WHITE town. I never even saw a black person, other than on TV until I was seven years old.

When I was in High School, we got a new classmate named Martin. Martin was polite, well spoken and well dressed. He was shy and offered no thread to anyone. After he was in our school a week he transferred to a Catholic School in a neighboring city because a bunch of "the jocks" decided that they were going to pelt him with food in the cafeteria on fried chicken day.

People are afraid of what is alien to them, the smart ones learn how to accept and value what people of different backgrounds can offer them. The dumb ones retaliate against there fear with shows of violence like you and Martin faced.

endorphin74 said:

cborgman said:

okay, now that we've agreed in here, could YOU GET BACK TO "AS THE ORG TURNS"

puhleeeze!



...it's been my diversion in a frustrating day...

Sweeny79 said:

unfortunately, in our current political climate, this would be very hard to do. Minnesota, which historically leaned towards liberal almost passed a "no-promo-homo" bill which would've prohibited any discussion that viewed homosexuality in a positive light, on the grounds that homos are trying to recruit kids.


...edit...
[This message was edited Wed Jul 30 13:54:51 PDT 2003 by endorphin74]

I don't necessarily feel that separate schooling is the way to go. I feel that the problem needs to be tackled at the root, which is the institutionalized teaching of hatred towards gay people to the point that they cannot have a quality education because they are fearfull of their safety.

As a gay man I can tell you that my education suffered greatly because I spent all my time worrying about simply getting through the day instead of focusing on learning and getting an education.

This is a very serious and valid problem. Hopefully the creation of this school will force the issue in the faces of those who are complicit in the problem itself.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Amen. I think the school thing not only is evil, but also thoughtless. I can see they want it to be some sort of "safe haven" for the "abused" students, but it's just drawing more attention to them and discriminating even more against them, because I'm under the impression that someone thinks that gays should only in be "gay" schools anyway. I don't know...

two words: Home Schooling

How about just a gay island, where everything is gay, gay schools, gay movies, gay ice cream, gay shoes, gay people, gay rules, gay colors, gay music, nothing but gay, all day, everyday, 24-7. I'm gay and it makes me wanna

two words: Home Schooling

How about just a gay island, where everything is gay, gay schools, gay movies, gay ice cream, gay shoes, gay people, gay rules, gay colors, gay music, nothing but gay, all day, everyday, 24-7. I'm gay and it makes me wanna

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

No it does have to do with difference,

For example:

I grew up and live in a WHITE town, not predominantly white, I mean WHITE town. I never even saw a black person, other than on TV until I was seven years old.

When I was in High School, we got a new classmate named Martin. Martin was polite, well spoken and well dressed. He was shy and offered no thread to anyone. After he was in our school a week he transferred to a Catholic School in a neighboring city because a bunch of "the jocks" decided that they were going to pelt him with food in the cafeteria on fried chicken day.

People are afraid of what is alien to them, the smart ones learn how to accept and value what people of different backgrounds can offer them. The dumb ones retaliate against there fear with shows of violence like you and Martin faced.

Sweeny79 said:

This isn't a situation of picking on someone because of their haircut. The overriding motivation for the attacks on me were my sexuality. There were plenty of kids that were different and none of them were subject to the degrees that I was. I have been attacked on the street for God's sake. Those people did not just pass by and think "oh he's different", they attacked me because I'm gay.

jthad1129 said:

only problem with that is all too often the parents of gay at risk kids tend to feel the same way that their peers do. and home school kids that isee at the school i work at seem to have little to no social development.

jthad1129 said:

only problem with that is all too often the parents of gay at risk kids tend to feel the same way that their peers do. and home school kids that isee at the school i work at seem to have little to no social development.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

And Martin was attacked because he was black, I'm sorry but I see no difference between the reasons for why these things happen.

cborgman said:

then just keep their asses in public school, no special treatment. Let them get picked on like everyone else for being different. Makes most stronger in the end anyway. Let them go back to their high school reunion looking fabulous, sitting beside the balding football jock that now is married with a big ass pot belly and the homecoming queen who pushed out three kids and could not lose the extra weight, her ass is three feet wide and her roots are showing. He will be the best dancer, the best looking, the funniest, the best mannered, and the one everyone remembers.

Well, they did in my situation

Sweeny79 said:

They are both parallel. People, especially in all white areas and especially in the south, are many times raised with bias. Same with bias against homosexuality. But the bias against us is almost universal. I'm not at all saying that other kids didn't get teased because they were different but hatred of gay people is institutionalized in that it's totally acceptable for anyone to express their contempt from the holiest in the Church to the street thug. It's accepted and taught to children to be OK. There isn't that kind of institutionalized teaching and manifestation of hatred because someone is wearing the wrong shirt.

jthad1129 said:

And this is great...if the kid makes it that far.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

nobody gets a guarantee. I have some straight friends that didn't make it for one reason or another, abuse, divorce, etc. People have to suck it up and realize that no one is perfect, everyone has flaws, and everyone gets picked on. If you reach deep and see why the jock is picking on the gay kid, his dad is probably beating him each week because he didn't score enough points, like his old man. Everyone has a story and there is a reason for most peoples reaction. Learn and grow, its not a perfect world, Bush proves that everyday.