A view of 2 Astor Place, the building that will house the new Harvey Milk High School.

1st public gay high school set for NY

Mayor: H.S. to offer education without fear of harassment


ASSOCIATED PRESS



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.






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“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.
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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.”

What a joke! This gives all the wrong signals.

paisleypark4 said:

The worst name they could of called it

yeah, then they gonna go tell everybody. Shoulda kept it in the coset...:box:

But boy i wish i woulda went there.

CAMILLE4U said:

actually, it's a fantastic name. he was the only real voice of leadership the gay movement has had, as he was assisinated long before his prime.

SpcMs said:

the article does not really explain it enough. i have known about the HMHS since i was 14, and it is a fantastic program. untill now it was a program you had to apply to, and spots were only given out to those that were mercilessly beaten and verbally attacked at their schools to the point that they were going to drop out rather than continue their education.

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.

SpcMs said:

I hear you

but then I think of my Highschool experience and I wonder...maybe this would be a good alternative. I think there were 6 adults in my whole school who were outwardly supportive of GLBT students. The rest were like my Spanish teacher who pretended not to hear as the jocks in the class taunted me in (very poor) spanish. They'd even write stuff about me on the board and the teacher would just leave it up there. When I complained to my principal, he suggested I "try harder to get along with the mainstream kids."

I said FUCK THAT and took advantage of the post secondary program which took my funding away from the high school and paid for my college classes instead...

I hate the thought of seperating but the reality of what GLBT high school students go through (which often leads to drug addiciton, suicide or risky sexual behaior) may justify the need for this type of atmosphere...

dunno where I fall on this idea, it's a tough one

endorphin74 said:

tru dat. I was part of my GLBT club at my school (North High in Mpls) and nobody bothered us even in the midst of being a mostly African American school. I was surprised, but sadly there were only about 6 of us, and it were the obvious peeps.

this topic should getta ***

I'm not gay, so I can't be sure but:

It seems to me that isolating several gay students in one school would:

1) Make it a bigger target of harrassment
2) Send a meesage that gay people need segmented education
3) Make it harder for gay people to stand up to the harrassment that they are very likely to face in their adult-hood.

This doesn't seem like a good idea to me. But, I am glad that at least the city is trying to be accommodating of groups that face some pressure.

savoirfaire said:

Co-sign i was just about to say all of that!

savoirfaire said:

So the correct way to go is to subject children to harrassment in a predominantly straight system. I know this isn't your position Sav but this really is the alternative unless people teach their children how to be tolerant of those who are different.

The first time I was called a faggot by a student was in the first grade. At 6 years old! I can tell you I had countless very traumatic experiences at the hands of straight boys from grade 1-12. It would have been nice to have the option to get an education in an environment in which I was safe.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

IMHO,

The change has to happen in the school system at large, segregation is not the answer. I work with special needs children, and I am in NO way saying that gay students are disabled in anyway, but there is a comparison to be made. I, and most educators, do not believe that shoving children who are somehow different, into a separate school will help them in the long run. All children must be taught to accept the world as it is and how to function in it, that goes for disabled and non-disabled, straight, gay, BI, black, white, etc.

I agree that severe emotional damage can be inflicted by teasing, and that finding others that share your outlook on life can help heal those wounds, but the idea of a separate school will not cure the long term problem.

Students out side of "mainstream" culture should be afforded a safe place to learn, they should be taught to self advocate, they should be respected for who and what they are, but this idea of segregation does not sit well with me.

savoirfaire said:

of course, i can not speak for the gay popoulation in genereal, but here are my personal feelings and experiences.

before i came out, i was taunted mercilessly, which led to a few suicide attempts. i had no one to turn to, no one to talk about what i was feeling with, and no role models. i would have given anything, and i mean anything to have any kind of reassurement that i was, despite what i was being told, not a freak, not a waste of life, not despicable, and not deserving of death. to this day, i am amazed i survived it.

it was around this time that i hit the public library, in secret of course, and read every book on homosexuality, avery article, etc, i could get my hands on, because it was the only way i could find anything out.

around this time i heard about the harvey milk school, and it was a large part of why i survived, because i saw it as a beacon of hope. if there was a school where people like me could go and not be killed or beaten or verbally abused, then there was hope that things were going to get better.

so i made my stand. i came out at 14, and the results were disasterous at first. i had to be moved to a completely different school system as a consequence. i had to be walked home escorted by an adult.

so i moved to texas, but i refused to go back into the closet. i had made my stand, and i would not back down. i built my body up so that physical harm would, as much as possible, not be an issue, and i refused to be intimitated and bullied about it.

but i lived in constant fear, and still do. all through high school, i was constantly watching behind me for fear someone would run up behind me with a bat. i refused to take phys ed classes because the locker room is an unmonitered situation, where often many cases of inner-school beatings take place, because someone gets accused of trying to cop a feel or whatever other bullshit. my grades suffered considerably, because i was obsessed with my safety, that i did not pay attention as much. as a result of middle of theroad grades and a somewhat dissablilitating fears of strangers, i did not go to college.

as an adult the situation has changed, but not much. the passage of time since has eased things quite a bit, thanks to a very visable revolution, and shows that positevely portray gay and lesbian people. we are no longer the monsters everyone fears.

but it still has a long long way to go. a couple of weeks ago, the guy i was dating and i were walking down the street in austin, and we were holding hands. as we approached one corner, several males in a group starting yelling "faggot" at us, and part of me wanted to shriek "WELL, WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FUCKING CLUE, MORON?!?!" at them, but i didn't. i kept my head high, and ignored them.

i don't believe in ghettoizing. i think surrounding yourself with people like you is counterproductive, and quite boring. but when society gives you no other option but to ruin your life, or worse, end your life, or ghettoize, guess which one i will choose?

I used to work for Hetrick-Martin/HMHS, and it was a great place for at-risk LGBT teens to go for counseling, food, clothes and resources. As a school, it was fairly young when I was there, and it had a long way to go - a lot of the teachers were frustrated that the case counselling came before the kids' education, and more often than not, classes turned into glorified babysitting.

I'm all for LGBT/straight student alliances in public and private schools, and I really don't know that I think a self-imposed segregation of queer students could do much good preparing kids for the real world, when folks at that age are still trying to figure out if they're even gay or not.

I'm much more concerned about LGBT youth in juvenille correctional facilities and other situations in which at-risk youth are commonly overlooked.

Regardless of my thoughts on the issue...Harvey Milk is a FANTASTIC name for the school. If you don't know who he is, you BETTA look him up on Google. He's an important figure in queer history.

Anxiety said:

absolutely. the closest thing we have had to a leader yet.

Here are some examples of the ways in which I suffered:







These are only a few examples of what it's like for gay kids in school, let alone the horrors we face outside of school. Things like this happened to me all the time and the fact that I have grown into a well adjusted loving man is simply a miracle.

And people wonder why things like Columbine happens. You can only push people so far.

cborgman said:

I hear what you are saying Chris, and I truly wish that you did not have those experiences in your life. I believe that what ever doesn't kill you will only make you stronger and the strength you have shows through your spirit and your determination to survive.

That said, wouldn't you rather someone take the money that goes into the running of a school like this, and but it towards programs that would help educate the new generation on homosexuality and how it is not evil, or wrong and should be accepted in society? As you said the tides are changing and many people no longer feel afraid of the gay lifestyle and would support a program or programs that would help better our society and help to insure the safety of our children. I know that if my school district proposed this sort of program I would support it wholeheartedly, many of the teachers I know would too. In fact, the harassment of a student for their sexual preference is already covered under the Zero Tolerance policy most schools adopted after the Columbine Shootings.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Regrettably, I cannot think of a suitable alternative, and I don't know what it would be like to harrassed so much at such a young age. Besides a couple of bullies, I was never really bugged, and I knew how to handle them anyways.

I will admit that I am very good at dismissing ideas without having any real good ones of my own. It is unfortunate that a school like this ever needed to be built. Hopefully, time will eliminate the abuse that so many face because they are different than what is considered normal.

What I do know is that we can't shelter our children from what might be hard to take. If we do this, they will not be prepared for real life. I by no means condone this sort of harrassment on children, but know that it will exist for their entire life, or at least until people become more accepting. But you are right, we also shouldn't just sit back and let kids take the abuse. It's a tough situation, once again, one that I regret.

I can recall very well as a child, calling people "gay" or "faggots", and I regret it. But I was just trying to fit in, and I can see why the problem exists. We live in a strange world. The scariest thing of it all, is that it's more accepting of different people than it has ever been.

cborgman said:

Assasinated?? Did they ever catch the killer?

Here's the thing about all the public school traumas you guys are mentioning here (and believe me, I could add to that list):

None of this has ANYTHING to do with homosexuality.

It has to do with DIFFERENCE.

And putting young people in an environment where everyone is the same is *NOT* going to teach them to accept difference. It's only going to teach us to separate ourselves even more than we already do.

Teachers - and more importantly, BOARD OF EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS - need to take part in ongoing diversity trainings and initiatives. Parents need to be brought into the scene and given the opportunity to engage in dialog w/ teachers and educators about LGBT concerns and issues. Students need to see that LGBT people are more than just stereotypes, and that the only stigma is that of ignorance and fear. Religious dogma against LGBT folk may need to be respected on some unavoidable level, but deconstructed and defanged as best as can be allowed.

Look, it's like this:

When I was in 6th Grade, we got a new student named Pete. Flamingest sissy you ever did see. His mother was a hairdresser, for cryin' out loud.

Everyone HATED him. Made fun of him. Ignored him. Called him "fag".

One day in class, our teacher stopped her lesson and asked Pete to go to the office and make some copies for her. While he was out, she shut the door and explained to us that some people are different than others, but it doesn't make them worse people, or less worthy of respect. She was very kind when she gave us this lecture, and I would like to say we all "got it". I don't remember Pete getting much hassle after that day - he might not have been "popular", but people at least left him alone.

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.

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]

cborgman said:

Sorry, I didn't know.

pejman said:

Yes, they did.

And here's the story as I remember it:

The killer was a policeman. And they let him go. The reason? Because he said he had eaten a Twinkie and it made him temporarily lose his composure. I shit you not.

That was the policeman's defense for why he shot Harvey Milk, and he was let go.

Sweeny79 said:

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.

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.

Anxiety said:

That is EXACTLY what I am saying!

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.

pejman said:

A jury gave him just five years with parole. Defense lawyers had barred anyone remotely pro-gay from the jury and brought a psychologist to testify that junk food had exacerbated White's depression. (The so-called Twinkie defense was later banned.)