Gay High?
It's all over the news lately that New York City, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to create a new, all-gay high school. NYC's infinitely wise mayor, Michael Bloomberg (a Republican, believe it or not), is quoted as saying "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. It lets them get an education without having to worry."
So you would think that all proponents of equal rights should support this well-meaning attempt to protect GLBT kids from the evil, homophobic culture that exists at "normal" public high schools, wouldn't you?
Not so fast, my friends.
I see no end of problems with what New York City is doing. Sooner or later, GLBT kids are going to have to learn to DEAL with society at large, no matter how misguided and homophobic that society might be. And conversely, the rest of society needs to learn how to deal with persons of various sexual preferences, and to tolerate and respect those differences. If the educational system is split into "straight" high schools and "gay" high schools, the process of integration and acceptance is never going to happen. Gay High sends the wrong message to both gays and straights.
In addition to these macro-level problems, I also see some serious problems at the individual and family level as well. Think of what this means for an eighth-grader who thinks he (or she) might be gay, but hasn't come out to his family yet:
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Little Johnny: "Hi Mom and Dad, I have something important to tell you. I'm not the person you thought I was. You thought I was going to the sock hop with Susie all this time, but I've actually been seeing my buddy Jimmy on the side and we've been having sex for the past three months. Jimmy and I both want to go to Gay High so we can take classes in Interior Decorating together!"
Mom and Dad: "Gasp! Little Johnny, you mean you're trying to tell us you're GAY????" (expressions of shock and disbelief)
Little Johnny: "Well actually Mom and Dad, that's not exactly it. I've decided that I'm actually transgendered and I need you to buy me a sex change operation before Gay High starts this Fall. Can I have a vagina, PLEASE?"
Mom and Dad: (much fainting ensues)
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Now obviously I'm poking a little fun in this scenario, but think about the challenge a kid is going to face who may be questioning his or her sexuality at a very young age. The mere existence of Gay High puts a HUGE amount of pressure on a kid to come out of the closet and deal with sexual issues before that kid may be ready. And seriously, how enthusiastic are a lot of parents going to be to send their kid to Gay High? In addition to the stigma of having to explain the decision to other family members, friends, coworkers, etc. there is also the issue of whether parents will WANT their kid in an environment that parents will undoubtedly see as being more conducive to starting a gay sexual relationship in high school. The very decision about whether to send a kid to Gay High is sure to create an enormous amount of tension between parents and their gay (or questioning) kids. That tension within the family could actually be a bigger problem, and even more dangerous, than the "harassment" that Gay High is supposed to prevent these kids from experiencing.
Finally, I see this whole concept as the antithesis of what we should be pushing for in the equal rights arena. Why would gays want to voluntarily create a system of segregation similar to the one that African-Americans were experiencing in this country in the 1950s? "Separate but equal" is NOT the objective!!! Didn't we already learn that lesson??? If society has a problem with homophobia, the answer lies in dealing directly with the homophobes -- not in creating new Gay Ghettos. (Can you imagine how much fun New Yorkers are going to make of Gay High, and what goes on in its classes?)
I realize that NYC is only planning to enroll about 100 students in Gay High this Fall, so it may be intended only for kids who have faced the worst problems of harassment in their regular schools. But that's not the way it's being portrayed in the media. If this is a precedent that catches on throughout the nation, I think it could actually be a very bad thing for the gay community. Gay High may be a well-intended concept, but it simply isn't the right solution to the problems of GLBT kids in our schools.
So you would think that all proponents of equal rights should support this well-meaning attempt to protect GLBT kids from the evil, homophobic culture that exists at "normal" public high schools, wouldn't you?
Not so fast, my friends.
I see no end of problems with what New York City is doing. Sooner or later, GLBT kids are going to have to learn to DEAL with society at large, no matter how misguided and homophobic that society might be. And conversely, the rest of society needs to learn how to deal with persons of various sexual preferences, and to tolerate and respect those differences. If the educational system is split into "straight" high schools and "gay" high schools, the process of integration and acceptance is never going to happen. Gay High sends the wrong message to both gays and straights.
In addition to these macro-level problems, I also see some serious problems at the individual and family level as well. Think of what this means for an eighth-grader who thinks he (or she) might be gay, but hasn't come out to his family yet:
-----
Little Johnny: "Hi Mom and Dad, I have something important to tell you. I'm not the person you thought I was. You thought I was going to the sock hop with Susie all this time, but I've actually been seeing my buddy Jimmy on the side and we've been having sex for the past three months. Jimmy and I both want to go to Gay High so we can take classes in Interior Decorating together!"
Mom and Dad: "Gasp! Little Johnny, you mean you're trying to tell us you're GAY????" (expressions of shock and disbelief)
Little Johnny: "Well actually Mom and Dad, that's not exactly it. I've decided that I'm actually transgendered and I need you to buy me a sex change operation before Gay High starts this Fall. Can I have a vagina, PLEASE?"
Mom and Dad: (much fainting ensues)
-----
Now obviously I'm poking a little fun in this scenario, but think about the challenge a kid is going to face who may be questioning his or her sexuality at a very young age. The mere existence of Gay High puts a HUGE amount of pressure on a kid to come out of the closet and deal with sexual issues before that kid may be ready. And seriously, how enthusiastic are a lot of parents going to be to send their kid to Gay High? In addition to the stigma of having to explain the decision to other family members, friends, coworkers, etc. there is also the issue of whether parents will WANT their kid in an environment that parents will undoubtedly see as being more conducive to starting a gay sexual relationship in high school. The very decision about whether to send a kid to Gay High is sure to create an enormous amount of tension between parents and their gay (or questioning) kids. That tension within the family could actually be a bigger problem, and even more dangerous, than the "harassment" that Gay High is supposed to prevent these kids from experiencing.
Finally, I see this whole concept as the antithesis of what we should be pushing for in the equal rights arena. Why would gays want to voluntarily create a system of segregation similar to the one that African-Americans were experiencing in this country in the 1950s? "Separate but equal" is NOT the objective!!! Didn't we already learn that lesson??? If society has a problem with homophobia, the answer lies in dealing directly with the homophobes -- not in creating new Gay Ghettos. (Can you imagine how much fun New Yorkers are going to make of Gay High, and what goes on in its classes?)
I realize that NYC is only planning to enroll about 100 students in Gay High this Fall, so it may be intended only for kids who have faced the worst problems of harassment in their regular schools. But that's not the way it's being portrayed in the media. If this is a precedent that catches on throughout the nation, I think it could actually be a very bad thing for the gay community. Gay High may be a well-intended concept, but it simply isn't the right solution to the problems of GLBT kids in our schools.