Some public school officials in Chicago are pushing for the creation of "gay-friendly" schools. The concern that initiated this idea is the increasing number of gay and lesbian students dropping out of high school due to bullying. Not all who face bullying drop out, but they still have academic hardships due to stress and other distractions. The aim of these schools would be to create a safe learning environment for those facing such problems.
A national study revealed that 86.2 percent of those students reported were verbally harassed, 44.1 percent physically harassed, and 22.1 percent physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation. Their average GPA was also revealed to be much lower than that of heterosexual students.
An already existing school, Harvey Milk High School, created in 1985 for gay and lesbian students, has a high graduation rate of 95%. Yet, this school, unlike the one that officials in Chicago proposed, requires that its attendees be at risk of dropping out due to harassment from their previous high school. This school definitely seems like a great solution for those who were struggling with their academics, but unsurprisingly, there are often anti-gay protesters that scream outside and disturb students.
This is a touchy subject and people are very divided about it. (Click here to read about Prop 8, which is about same-sex marriages and will be on the ballot on Nov.4) Yet, doing nothing to help stop the bullying and harassment is going to continue to hurt many people mentally, physically, and academically. Options are good, but is creating separate schools a good idea? Will a safe environment really be able to be created?
Two Things
1 hour ago
9 comments:
Bullying is unfortunate in all cases. Many of our elementary school teachers will try and teach us an idealized perception of the world as being equal and free, but this just isn't the case. Whether or not we'd like to admit it, people obviously do not see each other as equal in many cases. While the statistics you present in this post are disturbing and upsetting, I don't think that seperate schools is a good idea. While it is unfair that children are being bullied and possibly scarred for the rest of their lives, leaving that situation is not a solution. Seperating gays from straights is even more polarizing, and is basically segregation in schools by sexual orientation. This is likely to cause even more of a misunderstanding between people of different orientations. So this solution is physically "safe," considering that homosexuals will be less likely to face harrassment and physical harm, but also poses some dangerous results. What will happen once the kid needs to go to college? And even if we make "gay friendly" colleges, what will happen when these people go into the real world? This solution is simply unrealistic and may suspend a young person into a homogenous world (in terms of sexuality) that is very different from the harsher realities of the world.
I agree with Sarah. Gays should not be bullied for being who they are, but they should not be segregated or given special benefits because of it either (and of course they shouldn't have disadvantages, so yes to prop 8). This kind of equality is necessary for peace.
Welllllll... I think that is a really hard choice to make. I think it's wrong the way they are bullied for who they are... Separate schools for gays would have benefits and disadvantages...
Starting with the good. It would definitely (hopefully) lessen the emotional and mental stress that these students feel and may be the best way for them to raise their grades or be safer. Better grades and graduation rates, more supportive peers, it seems like it may be a good idea.
Well, on with the bad. Maybe I'm a pessimist but it always seems easier to find the bad in things. It may be a bad idea because this congregation of gay students would give protesters and people against homosexuality a clear target to aim at. I also feel like it sends the wrong message. Removing gays and lesbians from schools, separating them from the rest of society... Segregating schools just doesn't seem like the right path to take. I think separate colleges will only further alienate people from those with the opposite sexual orientation and may only go on to fuel the growth of the rift between hetero/homosexual people. We should promote equality, and not separation. We shouldn't have to resort to a slight variation of the "separate but equal" ruling from the Plessy v Ferguson case...
It actually reminds me of "Warriors Don't Cry" and the integration of Little Rock, Arkansas (was that the name of the school/place?). The bullying, the alienation, the struggles of the oppressed, etc. I feel like we can draw so many parallels between the current conflicts concerning gay-rights with that of the conflicts our nation had way back then in regards to African Americans ... I really bet that many many years from now we're going to look back to the turn of the century and view our anti-homosexual society with some sort of disgust in the same way we now view slavery.
I agree that separation would be a bad idea because they can't stay there forever. The separate school may even result in worse harassment and stress too because anti people have a sure target.
Just to make clear..Kevin, if prop 8 is passed, then only marriage between a man and a woman would be allowed in CA. Reading your comment, I'm pretty sure you meant no to prop 8. This prop's name is actually quite deceiving because it's called Marriage Protection Act or something close to that, so people often confuse its stand, which is against same-sex marriage.
I agree with what everyone has written. I definitely say No on 8 and I believe in equality of course, but creating high schools especially for gay students is not a good idea. It seems like one in theory, to protect them from bullying and other hardships, but I think it would make the problem worse. Not only is it creating a target as well as plenty of public outrage, but similar benefits are not necessarily being provided for other minorities. Since, when it comes to education, gay people don't need anything that heterosexual people do not, there is no reason to cause all kinds of issues by providing them a special school. We all just need to be a little bit more accepting.
I feel sorry for them. They should not be bullied and have to go to a different school just to finish high school. I don't think it is a good idea to fo to a seperate schools because in life one can't just run and hide when things go bad. I think we just need to accept each others difference and move on./ After all what do you care what others do in their lives as long as it doesn't hurt others.
Oops. Yeah that's a no to prop 8.
I agree with Sarah. I don't think making a high school focused on homosexual adolescents would do anything but further isolate and separate heterosexual and homosexual teens. This, I think, would be incredibly damaging to both parties as they would refer to those different from themselves as "the others" and separation would allow the two groups to escape from their conflict, lack of tolerance, etc. rather than confronting the core issue. Therefore, tolerance-based education should be an issue not just in high schools, but beginning perhaps in middle school. Creating an environment early on where students can be comfortable and open with their sexuality, and where students can probe and question other's beliefs in a safe environment would ultimately be very beneficial...hopefully ; )
I definitely agree with Doria. I really think we need to start teaching tolerance in schools, but in some cases it's hard because in some cases parents will get involved and perhaps withdraw their child from the school. True, there is no "there shalt be no discrimination" clause anywhere, not one that people will obey. The sad thing is that gays and lesbians do need schools like this, but it won't help them later on, there will always be discrimination. People have almost completely forgotten about discrimination against women, but it's still there, racism is still there. I think instead of having school segregation, there should be tolerance courses to help expose people to the differences why it's not ok to discriminate, show them how they are basically just like us.
So, NO on Prop 8!
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