CNN: Lawsuit challenges (NYC) gay high school

[Atlant]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/08/14/gay.school.ap/index.html

Lawsuit challenges gay high school

NEW YORK (AP) -- A New York state senator and a conservative legal group have
filed a lawsuit charging that a public high school for gay, bisexual and transgender
students violates laws against segregation.

Bronx state Sen. Ruben Diaz and the Liberty
Counsel filed the lawsuit Wednesday in
state Supreme Court in New York City,
arguing that the school breaks education
rules barring discrimination based on sexual
orientation.

School officials have said the school, Harvey
Milk High, will be open to all students,
regardless of their sexual orientation. Supporters say the school is needed to protect
students who have been harassed.

Paul Rose, a spokesman for schools Chancellor Joel Klein, told the Daily News that the
lawsuit was "a frivolous attack on a program that has helped children for many years."

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[davidinalameda]

1. this guy is a Democrat

and that really pisses me off

http://www.sendem.com/members/diaz/index.php

Why don't the New York Democrats try and reel this guy back in? He's nothing more than a homophobe.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. As much as I agree with you about the legislator and feel GLBT

teens should NT have to face harassment in school, I have mixed feelings about this. Segregating them only ALIENATES them further. I'd much rather see a lawsuit filed against school districts FORCING them to protect these kids and suing them for discrimination if they don't.

The public school system should be about INCLUSION...although it would be funny to have the gay school bus in some straight students...like the ones that have a tendency for harassing these kids...let THEM be the minority for a while and see how THEY like it.

[meegbear]

3. You'd think they'd support it ...

they don't want "these type of kids" socializing with their own.

[soleft]

4. How can a school segregate if it's open to all students regardless of

sexual orientation.

I imagine there a lot of straight students who will want to go to this school because of its tolerant environment. Just as there are lot of straight people who want to leave in the West Village and Chelsea because they're populated with really cool people.

[jiacinto]

5. I agree with this decision

The gay only high school sets a bad precedent and I don't like it.

[babzilla]

6. just another alternative school, among the 70 that exist in NYC

if you think this sets a bad precedent, how do you feel about the segregation of ballet dancers and Harlem choir members?


http://www.altschools.org/schools/#C

New York City has a wonderful alternative school program. Have you never seen the movie Fame? I wanna live forever, baby remember my name. Rememba, rememba, rememba. How soon they forget.

More about the largest alternative educational network here

http://www.altschools.org/about/

[jiacinto]

7. Those are based on extracurricular activities

This school is based on sexuality and I find it wrong. I'll tell you why. Over time it will become the "norm" for "gay children" to go the "gay school".

And so then children in the "straight school" will never learn the values of tolerance. And then it will become like "seprate but equal".

[tuck]

9. not even

the diffrence being that black kids were REQUIRED to go to a segregated school. these kids are not being required to go to a separate school.

dammit, they need a place to be free of the bullshit that goes down to NYC high schools. they deserve a place to be safe.

denying them that because of some grand idea of "how things should work (in a perfect world)" is irresponsible and callous

[jiacinto]

10. "Free of the Bullshit"

I disagree strongly. Putting them away in a school just for gays is not in their best interest either. The schools should rather be figuring out how to make sure that they can attend classes with the general population without being harassed. I think it is doing them a greater disservice to put them in a school "just for gays".

[tuck]

23. they SHOULD be...

"The schools should rather be figuring out how to make sure that they can attend classes with the general population without being harassed"

agreed.

but in reality, they are not. as i've said before, unless you know personally what it is like to go through that special kind of hell that only being out in high school brings, your opinion doesn't mean much.

if you can't empathize, don't try to theorize. we don't live in a perfect society where everyone gets treated equally. these kids are falling through the cracks. they have to be helped.

[davidinalameda]

26. they are not being put away or locked up or anything like that

they are attending school in a safe environment

some kids need this, some don't

[babzilla]

14. actually it is based on a safe and supportive environment

http://www.hmi.org/

the mission statement:

The Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) believes all young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential. HMI creates this environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth between the ages of 12 and 21 and their families. Through a comprehensive package of direct services and referrals, HMI seeks to foster healthy youth development. HMI's staff promotes excellence in the delivery of youth services and uses its expertise to create innovative programs that other organizations may use as models.

On the contrary, it seems that their goal is for the "norm" to be for all public schools to foster healthy youth development.

There are alternative high schools in every school district which serve to address the needs of the students in the district. As stated in the mission statement, they are striving to create an innovative model that will serve as an example for other organizations to enact. They are setting out to prove, through example, that it is a good thing to meet the needs of the student. Maybe the non-alternative schools can learn a thing or two from the work of these dedicated educators.

This school has been in existence since 1984, it has only become controversial since they got a grant to upgrade their facilities from the Dept. of Education. This sends up red flags that the controversy stems not from the purpose of their program, but from the fact that money is getting tight in NY, as in all states. The first programs to be cut are always the ones that serve the most margianalized. Case in point.

It is apparent that all social contracts are in danger of being repudiated by republican ire.

But that goes without saying.

[soleft]

22. any child can attend this school regardless of their sexual orientation

[soleft]

17. Then I think we should start breaking up communities in NY and SF

Because we sure wouldn't want people living with others who support and understand each other.

[robbedvoter]

8. Yeay! More stuff for bush's lawywers to "look into" and create

"vedge issues" - at least as they see them. I am sure this is done with the purpose to throw more gas on the fire of the "cultural war".
Fortunately, their arrogance is bigger than their political sense. There are not as many bigots as they think there are.

[private_ryan]

11. I hope they win, separate schools will not help

unless the students here will go to a gay college, work with only gay workers and live in a 100% gay community when time comes..

What if a white kid goes to a Harlem school and he's harrased? Or if a black kid goes to a 99.9% white school in Alabama?

[Merlin]

12. Setting up this high school was probably engineered by Karl Rove.

It's the dumbest damn thing I've heard of in many years.

Could anyone dream of a more inviting target for the right wing than this--just before a critical election.

Who in God's name engineers this stuff. Most gays I know are smart, savy, politically astute, unaffected people who would never in their right mind support something like this.

This school is and will be a political lightening rod for every freeper in the country from now until the day it's dismantled, and we Democrats will pay the price for it.

Opposing this kind of lunacy is not homophobic. Is common sense.

[private_ryan]

13. common sense and double standards don't apply to some people

when it's about gays. If someone had taken money from the general education pool for vouchers or a special school for christians, muslims etc. they'd go balistic.

Watch someone start a thread in the lounge calling you just that (a homophobe) "because you don't know how gays feel since you're straight"

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

15. Actually as a gay person, that is the reason I agree with you

It doesn't force the school district to CREATE a non-hstile environment if there is the possibility of a separate school and while I am concerned for the well-being of GLBT kids, it will be used to justify faith based vouchers etc (although that is already possible).
I can understand WHY the kids, their parents and educators may want to give them a safe haven for learning, but think as a matter of policy, it would make more sense to be more forceful and punitive towards schools where gay kids are repeatedly harrassed. TO segregate them almost is rewarding the harrasser.

[babzilla]

18. on the contrary, it shows the school district how it can be done best

The purpose of such a school is to demonstrate the value of a non-hostile environment. A successful alternative program exemplifies the ways that all public schools should serve their students whatever their educational needs may be.

Theories of education come from the scientific method and need alternative school labs to affect a sound evolution of these methodologies.

[soleft]

20. any child can go to this school regardless of their sexual orientation

[timbo]

19. I guess that the health and safety of young gays

should take a subordinate position to the larger good of the Democratic Party.

How could I have known that when I was young, my longing for a safe environment where I would be free from taunting and physical assault would be construed as contrary to the interests of the Democratic Party?

How could I have known that my gay and lesbian friends who commmitted suicide rather than face another day of virulent prejudice growing up gave their lives so that a Lieberman or a Lieberman-clone could occupy the White House?

How could I have known that being forced into denying my sexuality for thirty years because I was not allowed to know that being gay was not wrong and not a sin, and that being denied the comfort and solace of the companionship of other gay men and women would help the larger and more important political aspirations of so-called democrats?

Perhaps because I am unsmart, unsavy, politically immature, and most certainly affected.

(edit, punctuation)

[soleft]

21. the article says any child can attend this school regardless of their

sexual orientation

[babzilla]

25. since 1984

funny, the school has been in existence since 1984.

It has only become a "lightning rod" since they got some money out of the N.Y. Dept. of Ed. to upgrade their facilities. I guess its only outrageous when they dare to be rewarded by the state after serving its students for almost 20 years.

My understanding of the right-wing view on education funding is that there should be more of a "free-market" regarding competition among schools. Seems to me that the Harvey Milk School has succeeded in the "free-market" of NYC schools. Apparently, free-marketers are none too happy about it, and this--just before a critical election. Ah-hah

[pinerow]

16. And so it should be...Brown v Bd of Education

ended the "separate but equal" doctrine in 1954

...this high school will encourage it...whats next...
a school for left-handed Puerto Ricans...

the solution should include major repercussions for the idiots who

choose to act out their ignorance..
expulsions for the bullies and the like...

the only separate high schools I would like to see this is one where where we can isolate them...

New York already has one..its called Rikers Island.

[FredScuttle]

24. HELLO?!!!!

Did any of you (save soleft) read the article? It states, quite clearly:

School officials have said the school, Harvey Milk High, will be open to all students, regardless of their sexual orientation. Supporters say the school is needed to protect students who have been harassed.

How in the hell is this segregation?