That gay high school buzz
Jul. 29th, 2003 11:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
judecorpApparently, the Harvey Milk High School in New York City is all the news these days, because it's planning to expand and offer services to more students. Some of my LJ friends have been posting about it, mostly negative. There's been talk of "separate but equal" and other inherently negative catchphrases. And of course I have thoughts.
Did you know that when I was thinking of relocating to NYC, I had a phone interview with the Hetrick-Martin Institute? Heck, this could have been my job! (What was I thinking, deciding to stay in Columbus??!?!)
This is not a segregation situation, or a "separate but equal" means of education, for the primary reason that no one is forced to attend this school. It's an alternative school, like all of the other alternative schools that lump willing kids based on a certain academic subject or characteristic. The school has been operating two classrooms for quite some time now, and I believe the expansion will allow for 100 students.
100 students in the NYC school system. That's hardly a drop in the bucket.
Segregation would imply that all queer youth (or straight youth, or whatever youth) were being rounded up and forced to attend a different school. It would imply that the quality of education was in some way different than a traditional NYC public school. To be honest, how can you tell? There are so many different types of charter, alternative, and specialized public schools in NYC that there is no easy description for a "regular" school.
Let's face it - there is incredible variation among queer youth. Some of them are more well-adjusted than others. Some of them have more supportive families than others. Some of them have more social skills than others. Some of them blend into the mainstream better than others. Can you imagine being a transgender youth in a public school system? Can you say, "being eaten alive?" I can, especially when I think about a 14 (I think) year old I know, a biological male who prefers to present as female (and does a pretty convincing job!) and has for his entire life. Luckily, this young person has incredible parents, and a safe place to hang out - our youth drop-in center.
It's no secret that there is an elevated rate of suicide among queer young people. One of the contributing factors, it has been theorized, is a heightened sense of isolation. Falling into a common angst trap of adolescence, queer youth often feel as if they are the only queer people in the universe. They often do not have available role models or an available dating pool, among other things. They spend those years where the aim is to secure an identity in concealment and denial.
Having a safe social space is often enough to carry these youth through the high school years. But what about those students for whom queerness is more of an issue than others, or who may have more issues, problems, disabilities, or difficulties compounding a newfound queerness, or who may "stick out" more readily and thus be easier targets? To me, it's not terrible to offer these young people a safe space where they can concentrate on their education without worrying about potential slander, jeering, or violence. It's not terrible to allow a young person to use hir intellect to complete schoolwork rather than perpetually justify hir existence. If queer youth didn't need safe spaces, why would they be in such demand?
It's easy to try to make the leap between LGBT individuals and those of other minorities in society. And it's easier, I think, to consider previous (disastrous) attempts at segregated education fueled by racism rather than, for example, some successful Africentric education programs in inner cities. Those aren't "separate but equal" programs - they're established alternative programs designed with students in mind.
Please let's not be so quick to compare Segregation in Schools (ethnic segregation) with the expansion of the Harvey Milk School. It's like apples and oranges here, I promise. For example... remember that school in the South that held a "White Prom" and a "Black Prom"? Remember how shocking it was that so many of the students were in favor of it? Remember the bitter taste of racism in your mouth as you read about it, thought about it, conceived it?
Have you ever attended an alternative Prom for queer youth? Or if you're older than that, have you ever wanted to? Have you ever wanted the freedom to take the date of your choice, wear the formal outfit of your choice? Have you ever wanted the freedom to hold hands, sit, eat, dance, take photographs, share moments, and show intimacy without becoming a spectacle? Do we not celebrate The Other Prom in Columbus, laud its high attendence and safe atmosphere?
This is a 100-student school, people, and it is an /option/. For some students, it may be their ONLY option ensuring a safe, healthy education. LET IT GO. MAKE MORE.
Do I think that this underwrites dealing with homophobia and heterosexism in our society and our school systems? Of course not. There are a lot more than 100 queer kids in the United States. Are we enhancing the problem by placing the youth in a separate school? One look at that 14 year old I was talking about up there, and you'll see there's no "enhancing" required. I promise.
Did you know that when I was thinking of relocating to NYC, I had a phone interview with the Hetrick-Martin Institute? Heck, this could have been my job! (What was I thinking, deciding to stay in Columbus??!?!)
This is not a segregation situation, or a "separate but equal" means of education, for the primary reason that no one is forced to attend this school. It's an alternative school, like all of the other alternative schools that lump willing kids based on a certain academic subject or characteristic. The school has been operating two classrooms for quite some time now, and I believe the expansion will allow for 100 students.
100 students in the NYC school system. That's hardly a drop in the bucket.
Segregation would imply that all queer youth (or straight youth, or whatever youth) were being rounded up and forced to attend a different school. It would imply that the quality of education was in some way different than a traditional NYC public school. To be honest, how can you tell? There are so many different types of charter, alternative, and specialized public schools in NYC that there is no easy description for a "regular" school.
Let's face it - there is incredible variation among queer youth. Some of them are more well-adjusted than others. Some of them have more supportive families than others. Some of them have more social skills than others. Some of them blend into the mainstream better than others. Can you imagine being a transgender youth in a public school system? Can you say, "being eaten alive?" I can, especially when I think about a 14 (I think) year old I know, a biological male who prefers to present as female (and does a pretty convincing job!) and has for his entire life. Luckily, this young person has incredible parents, and a safe place to hang out - our youth drop-in center.
It's no secret that there is an elevated rate of suicide among queer young people. One of the contributing factors, it has been theorized, is a heightened sense of isolation. Falling into a common angst trap of adolescence, queer youth often feel as if they are the only queer people in the universe. They often do not have available role models or an available dating pool, among other things. They spend those years where the aim is to secure an identity in concealment and denial.
Having a safe social space is often enough to carry these youth through the high school years. But what about those students for whom queerness is more of an issue than others, or who may have more issues, problems, disabilities, or difficulties compounding a newfound queerness, or who may "stick out" more readily and thus be easier targets? To me, it's not terrible to offer these young people a safe space where they can concentrate on their education without worrying about potential slander, jeering, or violence. It's not terrible to allow a young person to use hir intellect to complete schoolwork rather than perpetually justify hir existence. If queer youth didn't need safe spaces, why would they be in such demand?
It's easy to try to make the leap between LGBT individuals and those of other minorities in society. And it's easier, I think, to consider previous (disastrous) attempts at segregated education fueled by racism rather than, for example, some successful Africentric education programs in inner cities. Those aren't "separate but equal" programs - they're established alternative programs designed with students in mind.
Please let's not be so quick to compare Segregation in Schools (ethnic segregation) with the expansion of the Harvey Milk School. It's like apples and oranges here, I promise. For example... remember that school in the South that held a "White Prom" and a "Black Prom"? Remember how shocking it was that so many of the students were in favor of it? Remember the bitter taste of racism in your mouth as you read about it, thought about it, conceived it?
Have you ever attended an alternative Prom for queer youth? Or if you're older than that, have you ever wanted to? Have you ever wanted the freedom to take the date of your choice, wear the formal outfit of your choice? Have you ever wanted the freedom to hold hands, sit, eat, dance, take photographs, share moments, and show intimacy without becoming a spectacle? Do we not celebrate The Other Prom in Columbus, laud its high attendence and safe atmosphere?
This is a 100-student school, people, and it is an /option/. For some students, it may be their ONLY option ensuring a safe, healthy education. LET IT GO. MAKE MORE.
Do I think that this underwrites dealing with homophobia and heterosexism in our society and our school systems? Of course not. There are a lot more than 100 queer kids in the United States. Are we enhancing the problem by placing the youth in a separate school? One look at that 14 year old I was talking about up there, and you'll see there's no "enhancing" required. I promise.
