New Schools 2009, Part 2 of 3: Possibility of GLBT School Hotly Debated

Oct. 28, 2008 – Emotions ran high at the Chicago Board of Education meeting Wednesday as the debate continued over a proposed high school, expected to be voted on Nov. 19, that would reach out to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students.

"The majority of taxpayers are not supportive of the homosexual lifestyle," Kathy Reese, who identified herself as a concerned citizen with prior lesbian inclinations, told the board. "The schools need to get out of the bedroom. We have real educational issues to address."

Hiram Crawford, representing the Pro-Life Pro-Family Coalition, also spoke against the proposal at the meeting, while only one man, Bill Greaves, the city's liaison to the gay community, spoke in its favor.

Controversy, even among gay advocates, has surrounded the new school proposal since it was introduced last summer. Under the plan, the school would open in 2010, serving 600 diverse students, about half of whom would be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender teens, Greaves said.

"Young people who are interested in social justice — we think they'll be interested in this program," he said.

Greaves said the school's first priority would be to provide quality college preparatory education, and the school would serve as a safe environment for gay and lesbian teens whom he said are suffering harassment at school and are at a greater risk of dropping out.

The proposed school would also provide long-term counseling to all students to provide an outlet for the hardship they face in their lives outside of school, Greaves said.

"Our initial thought was we would instill pride in all of our students for being themselves," said Greaves. "We want to give them the confidence to deal with the real world adversity they face."

A 2007 report by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a gay advocacy group based in New York, found about 90 percent of middle school and high school age gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students nationwide reported experiencing some form of harassment — physical or verbal — at school during the 2007-2008 school-year.

"It's something that has been successful in New York and the need is certainly present here in Chicago," Bennett Lawson said of the proposed school. Lawson is chief of staff for Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), the city's first and only openly gay alderman. Lawson said Tunney supports the school, though he is concerned about the lack of tolerance in public schools citywide.

"One thing we need to work with in all our schools is building tolerance," said Lawson.

Daryl Presgraves, a spokesman for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, said the proposal raises concerns about segregation.

"Our question is why can't all schools by LGBT-friendly," he said. "The best way to address the problem is to focus on every school, rather than just creating a separate school."

Andy Thayer, co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network in Chicago, said he agrees that tolerance building in Chicago Public Schools is important, but that his group still supports the proposal.

"The proposal is good as far as it goes," he said.  But, he added, addressing the problem with a new 600-student school is merely a bandage, not a solution, for a major problem facing schools in Chicago and nationwide.

"There has to be an unequivocal public stance by administrators, teachers and staff in every school that hate-based violence will not be tolerated," he said.

Click here to read part one of this three-part series.