A haven for lesbian, gay, bi, trans students
Harvey Milk School under siege
By Imani Henry
New York
On July 28, a New York City program for
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth announced plans to
become the first high school for LGBT students in the country
in September. Founded in 1984, the Harvey Milk School recently
hired its first principal and was awarded $3.2 million to
expand its classrooms and increase its 50 students to 170.
The school is named after the first openly gay member of the
San Francisco board of supervisors. Harvey Milk was
assassinated by a right-wing bigot in 1978.
After the July 28 announcement, right-wing forces came out
of the woodwork to falsely charge the MHS with segregation,
rejection of heterosexual students and diversion of funds from
other schools.
In a July 28 New York Post interview, New York State
Conservative Party Chair person Mike Long blasted the school
for "social engineering." Long, a supporter of President George
W. Bush's faith-based initiative campaign, called for
"tolerance" from the LGBT community for "heterosexual
rights."
This is an argument used historically by the ultra-right to
undermine the fight for civil rights for oppressed peoples. Sug
gesting there is real equality under capitalism negates the
history of systematic special oppression that people of color,
women and LGBT communities face.
The truth is that there are no laws that give LGBT people
any "special rights" in the United States. What has been won is
the inclusion of sexuality and gender expression in some
anti-discrimination legislation. This in and of itself is the
acknowledgment that capitalism breeds a violently bigoted
climate.
But even where protective laws have been won, like all
anti-discrimination legislation, it is arbitrarily enforced by
the courts and the cops. This further forces oppressed peoples
to continue their fight for equality.
Still to be won are civil basic rights that people who are
not lesbian, gay, bi or trans already enjoy. The right to
marriage, medical and life insurance for spouses, and the right
to adopt children are examples of rights that LGBT people still
do not have.
The Harvey Milk School struggle is in itself the fight for
safety and equality for LGBT students, many of whom have
endured years of torment, discrimination and violence in other
schools.
LGBT youth need even more safe havens like the Harvey Milk
School. According to the Gay and Lesbian Student Education
Network's 2001 National School Climate Survey, "Four out of
five LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment
at school and 30 percent report missing at least a day of
school in the past month out of fear for their personal
safety."
The Rev. Fred Phelps, a right-wing zealot, has issued a call
for bigots to come to New York City to "boycott" the Harvey
Milk School on Sept. 8. An LGBT youth of color group, FIERCE,
has begun organizing a multi-national, gay-straight alliance to
counter Phelps if he comes to town.
On Aug. 13, State Sen. Ruben Diaz and the right-wing group
Liberty Counsel filed a discrimination suit against the Harvey
Milk School.
The Florida-based Liberty Counsel opposed the Supreme
Court's ruling to overturn the Texas "sodomy" law, and has
fought against recognition of same-sex civil unions and
adoption of children by gay men and lesbians.
For years, the well-funded religious right has attempted to
pit the multi-national LGBT communities against communities of
color through alliances with conservative religious leaders.
Council person Diaz, a minister from the Bronx, told reporters,
"My goal is to let the mayor, the chancellor know that this is
wrong. It is segregation. ... They are leaving my children, my
Spanish children, my Black children behind."
The fact is that 75 percent of students at Harvey Milk are
LGBT youth of color. There are also non-LGBT students enrolled
at the school--one student, for example, has lesbian
parents.
The divide-and-conquer tactics by the right wing come at a
time when the entire New York State education system is under
attack. According to the watchdog group Advocates for Children,
Gov. George Pataki proposes cutting $448.5 million from the
budget.
This is a time for unity--against oppression and against the
budget cuts in education.
Reprinted from the Aug. 28, 2003, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME
:: U.S. NEWS ::
WORLD NEWS ::
EDITORIALS ::
SUBSCRIBE ::
DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page