[luckystarmom]

Why do they have to call it a gay school?

"These are troubled kids for whom the alternative to this school is almost certainly out on the streets turning tricks and doing drugs"

Why not call it a school for troubled kids, and not label these kids gay?

[GovernmentShrinker]

Because the nature of these kids' troubles is such that the only way to get them to attend school at all is to call it a gay school.

The NYC public school system runs other alternative schools tailored to various types of needs -- some for kids who are troubled in other ways (e.g. violent, including some who are prone to beating up gay kids), some for kids who are severely learning disabled, etc.