Glennalicious

Hi, Glenn. I recommend reading my post I linked at the bottom of that post, plus James's take on it (I hope the link works - it was August 2):

http://www.jameswagner.com/index.php?m=200308#999

I will quote the point I want to make:

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These kids are truly at risk. They are tormented by their peers, and sometimes even by teachers, principals and others charged with their care; they are assaulted; they are terrorized. They are unable to learn in what is intended to be a learning environment. For the most vulnerable youths it is a torture environment which may somehow be endured – or not. Sometimes they are killed.

They are not like the character Will on television’s “Will and Grace.” They are not middle class. They are overwhelmingly not white [75% are black and hispanic]. They have no support system. Many are homeless or in foster care. Many have attempted suicide. Many are not open to their parents or any other adults. Many have been thrown out by their parents. They are not codifying their sexuality; others are doing it for them. Their numbers include many who are still questioning their sexuality, and statistically 13% of Harvey Milk students are straight. Regardless of whether they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning or even straight but perceived by peers as otherwise, these kids just can’t hide it. And they shouldn't. They're kids.

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Yes, it would be nice to live in a world where this isn't necessary, but NYC has a horrible history of religious organizations fighting any curricula that promote tolerance, or even talk about AIDS prevention except with abstinence. The kids that end up at Harvey Milk are there because they had reached the point of dropping out, suicide, or extreme physical and mental harassment. They don't go there just by declaring their queerness.

I'm not about to tell a 13-year-old to "suck it up" for the next four years while the grownups struggle, or don't struggle, to make the world a better place.

The Harvey Milk School, though in essence a beautiful "idea", in reality is today's equivalent to the back of the bus.

Children everywhere with just a hint of confusion surrounding their sexual identity will now have to defend and fight for their right to stay in the same school as the taunting bullies: "Hey Fag, why don't you go to that GAY SCHOOL where you BELONG!"

I APPLAUD THE STUDENTS OF HARVEY MILK! But shame on the Board of Ed or the City or whoever it was who sunk millions into this school, when my friend Glenn has a roomful of 30 students and only 8 chairs.

Sure, this is just one mans from-the-hip-without-thorough-research opinion, but I have to wonder: How will it be determined if this school is "successful"? And if it is a success- what minority group should we segregate next?

ACCEPTANCE and UNDERSTANDING are my words d'jour. (yeah, I know- another beautiful "idea")