The controversial Harvey Milk Public School for LGBT youth is a public high school for non-heterosexual teens. It was opened because of the harassment that tends to follow young adults of non-heterosexual orientation.
It's true - high school kids can eat you alive.
so,
Will this be effective? yes, probably.
...
But does it conform to principles of total equality? I'd say no.
Simply put, I don't think it is fair or right or constitutional to open a public school for only gay teens. If a public school were opened for only heterosexual teens, or Protestants, or Asians, or only males, people would deem this unfair immediately.
Yes, the kids at Harvey Milk will never have to worry about in school harassment - and i think that is one of the major reasons this school is allowed to exist - but the way this got accomplished is in my eyes unconstitutional.
I completely agree with gaaaaabrielle. The concept of the school itself undermines the values of the LGBT rights movement. I understand that often students who identify as LGBT are sometimes faced with opposition and hatred in public schools, but creating an LGBT school is like giving up the fight for acceptance. It is like running away from the problem and creating a school that does not reflect reality. In the 50's, segregating schools by race was deemed unconstitutional. Why is segregating by sexual orientation any better? While it is a convenient "quick fix", as I'm sure all the students there feel very safe, it is not real. I seriously wonder how long the Harvey Milk school will remain open. Non-heterosexual students should not have to hide away to feel safe.
ReplyDeleteThe Harvey Milk School has been around for years (since 2003). I think non-LGBTQ students can attend, but it is DESIGNED to be especially welcoming of students who are out and LGBT or are questioning their sexuality.
ReplyDeletec.f.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Milk_High_School