Posted on 07/30/2003 6:52:38 AM PDT by kattracks
July 30— By Gideon Long
LONDON (Reuters) - An American decision to publicly fund a high school for homosexual students in New York is a misguided exercise in political correctness which risks isolating the gay community, Europeans said Wednesday.
Activists, students and officials across the continent agreed gay schools would never catch on in Europe.
Even the British -- culturally closer to the Americans than any other Europeans -- were skeptical.
"Special schools may serve as shelter for vulnerable and bullied students but in the long term they won't solve the problem of living in a homophobic society," said Carlie Harter-Penman, spokeswoman for the National Union of Students' lesbian, gay and bisexual campaign.
"We want gay students to be able to attend school without thinking of their sexuality as an issue."
Gay British student Richard Hyde, from the London College of Printing, said the U.S. initiative at least promoted awareness of gay rights but could have other negative consequences.
"It might create a biased attitude among gay students because the environment in which they would be educated isn't diverse enough," he said.
New York authorities said Monday that the Harvey Milk School in the city's Greenwich Village would reopen as the first publicly-run high school in the United States for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students.
Named after a gay San Francisco politician assassinated in 1978, it has already been open for 20 years but the city is to spend $3.2 million to expand the school to take 100 students.
Few could imagine such a scenario in Europe.
"This is inconceivable in France. It runs contrary to the principles of the Republic ... There can be no discrimination of any sort," said a French Education Ministry spokeswoman. "I can't imagine anything like that in Germany," said Detlef Muecke, a spokesman for gay teachers from the country's GEW teachers union. "Our aim is to work for acceptance and diversity in the school system, so that young people don't suffer discrimination if they come out as gay or lesbian."
In traditionally liberal Amsterdam, sentiment was similar.
"The Harvey Milk school is a solution to a worldwide problem that gay and lesbian kids feel isolated," said Henk Beerten, chairman of the Federation of Dutch Associations for the Integration of Homosexuality. "But a special school won't appeal in the Netherlands because of the way it singles out people and creates a ghetto-like situation."
In Sweden, which according to a study published Tuesday is the second most tolerant nation toward homosexuality after the Netherlands, gay leaders warned that the move might lead to the marginalisation of gay students.
"I don't think we need a school with special students," said Magnus Ask, organizer of the Stockholm Pride gay festival.
"We don't have separate schools for black people. Why should we have them for gays?" agreed Enrico Oliari, chairman of GayLib, a liberal and center-left Italian group.
"This is very much linked to the social context of the United States and I strongly doubt whether we will see similar schools in Europe over the next few years," added Gert Hekma, head of Gay and Lesbian Studies at the University of Amsterdam.
Wow. From the mouth of Euro-children, sometimes comes wisdom.
(huh. huh. that's gay...)
Then they should stop thinking of their sexuality as an issue. But when you define yourself in terms of how you choose to have sex, and demand that everyone accept it as normal behavior, you make it your only issue.
Seriously, though, what I've read is that this is going to be a magnet school for the fine arts. I'm thinking what's to stop a kid from looking around his hellhole of a "school" and think, "Hm, modern facilities, new equipment, smart kids like me, no discipline problems or bulying, motivated teachers -- screw it, I'll tell them I'm gay and get the f#@k out of here."
Neither are Americans.
They'll probably name it "Orgy High"
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