A Third High School for Gay Students
The Chicago School Board will vote this month on whether to create a high school for gay youth, many of whom experience abuse in their current schools.
If approved, the School for Social Justice-Pride Campus would become the nation's third gay-friendly high school (joining New York's Harvey Milk and Milwaukee's Alliance). Proposed Pride Campus Principal Chad Weiden says the school will be open to all genders and orientations and will not ask students to identify either at the door. He says statistics show a need for such a school. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network found that 86.2 percent of gay youth were verbally harassed in the past year and 22.1 percent were victims of physical assaults at school.
GLSEN Director and Founder Kevin Jennings says gay high schools are necessary to ensure gay students get the diplomas they deserve. "The fact is these kids are not making it through school, and we have to make sure they do while also making sure that every school is safe for every kid," Jennings says.
Tags: Chicago | New York City | high school | public schools | gay rights | Milwaukee
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Confusion
How do you know what you are at such a young age? Most gay students were curious and let their minds wonder towards places they shouldn't have. It is a choice to be gay. Some men I understand are not born with as much testoterone as others and they may take that as a sign of being a woman trapped in a mans body. I understand that a woman may have more testosterone than other women and have slightly a deeper voice but that doesn't automatically mean that she is a man trapped in a womans body. Growing up I can understand the confusion in the mind of such a young person. The boy with low testosterone may feel different from his friends or may even be interested in other things, which is understandable given the fact that low testosterone levels make you more sensitive. That is what can be taken as "I must be gay or trapped inside this body. I was meant to be a girl." With the girl having more testosterone you may notice she is not as girly and is more of a tom boy. Some are girly and just like girls because they go with whatever thought they had. "She is pretty. Does that mean I'm gay?" You are to control your thoughts. If men were created for men and women, reproduction would occur in men and men relations. Same as with women. I feel that a school like this is not good because they are children who are confused for what ever reason. Maybe a little boy was sexually assaulted by an older woman when he was young and that had a negative effect on his mind and is what led to the "Am I gay?" thoughts. What ever the reason may be, this school takes confused children,(which children I believe we can all agree shouldn't be sexually active anyway) and makes them believe further more that this is "ok". When it is not. Transgender...pshh..you meditated for long periods of time and fantasized so much that you believe your own lie. Its garbage. People are crazy to even allow this to happen. But it shows you how sick this world really is.
Remark " How about the others"
If you read the outline it said. "the school will be open to all genders and orientations and will not ask students to identify either at the door" So there for the nerds, the skinny kids, and all of the other sub groups will be able to attend. So yes the others that are getting harrassed in school will be able to attned.
All I have to say is this:
"According to the Center for Disease Control/Massachusetts Department of Education Youth Risk Behavior Survey (1999), 33% of gay youth will attempt suicide? In fact, gay teen suicide attempts are FOUR TIMES that of heterosexual youth."
That's a good enough reason for me. If these high schools save even one life, it's worth it. I fully support EVERY large city having a gay high school, and the Alliance School in my city is doing GREAT things. I'm proud to live in a city that supports our LGBTQ youth and is committed to helping students have a better life, one they can be proud of.
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