Proposed Toronto Gay-Centric School, a step forward or a step back?

What is "gay-centric" precisely? Do you mean gays only? Because segregation is not the way to go. Segregation breeds a lack of understanding between those communities segregated. Lack of understanding breeds prejudice.

 

Griffin hit it on the head, for me.

I think it would be a much better idea to form a better GSA/LGBT corperation in accords to highscools. To incorporate all of the LGBT clubs in highschool together and hold conventions, etc. It seems pointless to have a LGBT/GSA at highscools if all they are going to have is a couple of people in it. Especially if they are the only ones of that orientation/gender/etc.

 

TERRIBLE idea. School violence is unfortunately common, and this would only make it worse. Also, who wants to tell people they go to the "Gay School"? Not many.

 

I don't think there's a problem with Safe Space High.

 

NO! thats eerily close to segregation. And it won't help any non-LGBTQA people become more accepting of us.

 

Although there is a culture war going on, I don't support the draft.

 

"Let's separate them from straight students to reduce possible harassment" has the same effect as "Let's separate them from normal people because they are freaks".

 

The way that I look at it, until we can make sexism and homophobia cripplingly punishing to those who commit those behaviors in a public school setting, an interim solution is fine. People can oppress only because it's safe to do.

 

While I feel that having a safe haven for students who are emotionally troubled, and the constant targets of harassment and bullying, I cannot endorse this decision.

The ignorant jerk-off hate filled losers that would otherwise harass these kids in their
own schools will now have a place where they can seek them out. I can practically already hear the 3:30PM dialogue from the guys at the school down the street.


"Hey! Let's hang outside the gay school and throw rocks at the fags!"
"Epic plan dude!"
"Yeah they should burn that place down."

The intent is good, but the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Integration not segregation is key.

 

I say let them come. The police can park a paddywagon there. It will make enforcement like ten times more effective.

Plus, we need to remember this would be one school out of tens in any given city. Some would make the choice to go, and some would not. Both are valid choices, and the struggle will still advance. I venture that the majority would still go to public school, whether out of necessity or preference.

However, I think we can all agree that there is a need for reform, and there has not been nearly enough. The more fundamental problem that needs to be addressed is that public school is a miniature prison culture, and that needs to be sorted out so that all kinds of emotional violence will stop.

While I believe some of adolescent behavior can be attributed to age, some of it really is the dysfunctional social dynamics that schools create, and adults to whom we entrust our children's safety either fail to acknowledge or refuse to deal with.

 

At first I was very against the idea, but thinking about it all....why is it bad?

I think there is a valid point in saying that segregation doesn't help other people accept us more, but then again who are we to tell kids that they must be out and go to a regular high school so it helps other people out. It would be the same thing as outing every single gay person since that will help us out in the long run.

It should be left for the kid to decide. If they want to be out and be in a regular high school then great for them. If they decide they don't want to deal with all the shit, then I don't see how anyone can be able to force those kids to suck it up and deal with it.

The only thing that I would be against is if straight kids wouldn't be allowed to attend. Now that I would be against, but then again there are plenty of religious schools that won't let you go there based on your faith.

 

I agree with a lot of the points made by posters in this thread. I personally don't necessarily agree with the idea, but I see the merits in it.

My thoughts? Why are they spending so much time, money, and effort towards building a really... arguably easier but less beneficial solution rather than working on breeding acceptance community-wide? Surely all those funds towards building and staffing a school could be put to better use.

 

I don’t like the idea. A step back-

 

No, I find this to be a repeat of segregation from the fifties which as many have outlined, only makes it more of a target. I don't believe in the whole separate but equal bullshit either.

 

There already is a gay-centric school in Toronto called The Triangle Program. I think it has spots open for 10 students, and they're usually kids who have been kicked out of school. There are also schools all across southern Ontario under the name Gary Allen which have a high LGBTQ student body because they are available for students who were fed up with how they were treated in "normal" high schools.

 

This. Exactly.

 

Bad idea.

 

If this is so, then i think they should implement the sistem brocub explains for Gary Allen, if there were more schools in other parts of canada and other countries with an accepting system like this, people outside the lgbt community could grow to be understanding and tolerant