Pride School Atlanta (Decatur, Gay: 2015, homes, luxury)

[1lifealex]

Gay community looking to form new private school in Atlanta

[Bishwhat]

Shouldn't schools not revolve around the sexual preferences of their students?

[Ha-Mez]

Originally Posted by Bishwhat

Shouldn't schools not revolve around the sexual preferences of their students?

I believe it's the parents' sexual preference that is under discussion.

[Bishwhat]

Originally Posted by Ha-Mez

I believe it's the parents' sexual preference that is under discussion.

"They say their mission is to provide a safe and fun place for students to learn while letting them be who they are."

Sounds like it's the student's sexual preference.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by Bishwhat

Shouldn't schools not revolve around the sexual preferences of their students?

It's a valid question. God knows I'm pro-gay (check my posting history), but I have difficulty with putting a special class of student in an 'artificial' environment like this. Sooner or later, they will be face to face with the real world. Best they be prepared.

[Bishwhat]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

It's a valid question. God knows I'm pro-gay (check my posting history), but I have difficulty with putting a special class of student in an 'artificial' environment like this. Sooner or later, they will be face to face with the real world. Best they be prepared.

I agree. I couldn't care less if a person is gay or not. Frankly, it's none of my business. I only have a problem with people that are arrogant, disrespectful, liars, and cons.

Aside from that, not preparing gay/transgender students for the real world is almost doing them worse in my opinion.

[AtlJan]

Galloway has stickers on the bathroom doors saying "this a stress-free, gender neutral lavatory", or something to that effect. I think that is pretty cool, and I am a Christian and a conservative. 10 years ago I might have buckled at a sticker like that, but some years into being a mom, I realize that my kids have come into the world with a host of issues, and gender-questioning just happens not to be one of them. But if it were, I would certainly want them to go to a school with these stickers! Maybe I'm crazy but it seems like we could follow Galloway's lead and create fully integrated schools where all sorts of kids could feel safe.

[Ha-Mez]

The kids of lesbian parents probably get a lot of "yo mommas" jokes.

[residinghere2007]

I actually think it is a good idea.

LGBTQ kids and teens have a much higher risk of suicide along with harrassment and violence perpetuated against them versus non LGBTQ kids/teens.

To me, they would not be insulated, they would just not be constantly harassed, belittled, and made to hate themselves at school like many kids are, even in today's more liberal society.

I am a moderate and heterosexual and don't have a problem with this as I have seen reports and read things in regards to the constant harrassment that LGBTQ individuals face. Transgender attacks and murders are especially troublesome and the statistics on violence against them for just walking down the street is pretty staggering and horrible.

Childhood is a rough time, especially adolescence and if they can have a "safe place" at school, then to me it is worth it. The only thing I would have a problem with is the fact that it is a private school and probably has a private school price tag that would be outside the realms of what a lower income LGBTQ child can afford. Many LGBTQ kids also don't have any acceptance at home and their parents may not want to send them to a school like this.

In regards to the idea that they will be sheltered, I don't see it like that at all, especially being a black woman who went to an HBCU. I went to the university I attended based on the fact that I wanted to be around predominately black people and my experience there did not shelter me from the world or white people, I know how to get along with everyone but I just didn't want to deal with silly racial issues at college and I'm glad I went to an HBCU and I have attained a pretty good deal of financial success and currently work in a very integrated office environment where I get along fine with everyone.

LGBTQ children alrady navigate a sometimes hostile world. I am of the belief that we all should have a safe place to lean on and be ourselves. For most of us that place would be our homes, but as stated earlier, many LGBTQ kids don't even have that luxury and it would be great for them to have such a place at school.

Also as a black person, I worry especially about black LGBTQ children and teens. I was very good friends with one of the "out" gay young men in my high school. He had a VERY tough road to bear but luckily he had a very good core group of friends and we didn't let people mess with him in our presence. I especially remember that he was voted home coming king our senior year. Most of the boys at our school weren't into being a home coming king and so he was the only guy who ran and he won of course. A group of boys "jumped" him for having he gall to run for homecoming king as they felt having a gay king was an embarrassment for our school. He actually kicked about 3 guy's a$$ that day, my friend, because like he said "just because a guy is gay doesn't mean they aren't a man" so he kicked their a$$ like a man and they left him alone. It was a big incident at our high school and we had discussions about it in our "safe classes" as there were only a couple teachers who weren't outwardly uncaring about my friend. He told us during these discussions that as a gay boy he had to learn to fight much better than the other boys because he was constantly "jumped" from the time he was about 8 years old so he learned to be tough and how teachers ridiculed him and his family ridiculed him and how he was so happy he had a good group of friends who accepted him the way he was. This was in the late 1990s - 1995-1997. The other gay guy I knew in high school was also constantly harrassed. He wasn't as good as a fighter (he was smaller) as my friend and eventually he dropped out of school due to the fights and ridiculing he endured. My friend moved away from our home town and he is doing well now and lives a good life.

[AtlJan]

Originally Posted by residinghere2007

I actually think it is a good idea.

LGBTQ kids and teens have a much higher risk of suicide along with harrassment and violence perpetuated against them versus non LGBTQ kids/teens.

To me, they would not be insulated, they would just not be constantly harassed, belittled, and made to hate themselves at school like many kids are, even in today's more liberal society.

I am a moderate and heterosexual and don't have a problem with this as I have seen reports and read things in regards to the constant harrassment that LGBTQ individuals face. Transgender attacks and murders are especially troublesome and the statistics on violence against them for just walking down the street is pretty staggering and horrible.

Childhood is a rough time, especially adolescence and if they can have a "safe place" at school, then to me it is worth it. The only thing I would have a problem with is the fact that it is a private school and probably has a private school price tag that would be outside the realms of what a lower income LGBTQ child can afford. Many LGBTQ kids also don't have any acceptance at home and their parents may not want to send them to a school like this.

In regards to the idea that they will be sheltered, I don't see it like that at all, especially being a black woman who went to an HBCU. I went to the university I attended based on the fact that I wanted to be around predominately black people and my experience there did not shelter me from the world or white people, I know how to get along with everyone but I just didn't want to deal with silly racial issues at college and I'm glad I went to an HBCU and I have attained a pretty good deal of financial success and currently work in a very integrated office environment where I get along fine with everyone.

LGBTQ children alrady navigate a sometimes hostile world. I am of the belief that we all should have a safe place to lean on and be ourselves. For most of us that place would be our homes, but as stated earlier, many LGBTQ kids don't even have that luxury and it would be great for them to have such a place at school.

Also as a black person, I worry especially about black LGBTQ children and teens. I was very good friends with one of the "out" gay young men in my high school. He had a VERY tough road to bear but luckily he had a very good core group of friends and we didn't let people mess with him in our presence. I especially remember that he was voted home coming king our senior year. Most of the boys at our school weren't into being a home coming king and so he was the only guy who ran and he won of course. A group of boys "jumped" him for having he gall to run for homecoming king as they felt having a gay king was an embarrassment for our school. He actually kicked about 3 guy's a$$ that day, my friend, because like he said "just because a guy is gay doesn't mean they aren't a man" so he kicked their a$$ like a man and they left him alone. It was a big incident at our high school and we had discussions about it in our "safe classes" as there were only a couple teachers who weren't outwardly uncaring about my friend. He told us during these discussions that as a gay boy he had to learn to fight much better than the other boys because he was constantly "jumped" from the time he was about 8 years old so he learned to be tough and how teachers ridiculed him and his family ridiculed him and how he was so happy he had a good group of friends who accepted him the way he was. This was in the late 1990s - 1995-1997. The other gay guy I knew in high school was also constantly harrassed. He wasn't as good as a fighter (he was smaller) as my friend and eventually he dropped out of school due to the fights and ridiculing he endured. My friend moved away from our home town and he is doing well now and lives a good life.

This is a great, great post. Insightful re: the comparison to the HBCU experience and the anecdotes regarding gay black young men facing particularly severe peer harassment.