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New York Opens Gay High School

The city is opening a full-fledged high school for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students - the first of its kind in the nation, The Post has learned.
Operating for two decades as a small alternative program with just two classrooms, the new Harvey Milk HS officially opens as a stand-alone public school with 100 students in September.

The school, located at 2 Astor Place, is undergoing a $3.2 million in city-funded renovations approved by the old Board of Education in June of last year. It will eventually take in 170 students by September 2004, more than tripling last year's enrollment.

The Hetrick-Martin Institute - the gay-rights youth-advocacy group that manages and helps finance the school in conjunction with the Department of Education - has hired the school's first principal.

In the past, Harvey Milk HS - named after the slain gay San Francisco politician - was assigned an "off-site" supervisor who also oversaw several other schools.

"This school will be a model for the country and possibly the world," Principal William Salzman said in an interview at the facility that will boast a new science lab, 60 laptop and desktop computers donated by IBM, additional classrooms and a new cafeteria.

Salzman, a former Wall Street executive, was most recently assistant principal of guidance and business information technology at Brooklyn's Automotive HS.



Salzman said Harvey Milk will be an academically rigorous school that follows Schools Chancellor Joel Klein's mandatory English and math programs. It will also specialize in computer technology, arts and a culinary program.

"This is a not a touchy-feely situation," Salzman said. "We intend to have 95 percent of our students go on to college. We have a lot of talent coming into the school. We want to steer these kids in the right direction."

State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long blasted the school as "social engineering" that wastes tax dollars.

"Is there a different way to teach homosexuals? Is there gay math? This is wrong. This makes absolutely no sense," Long said. "There's no reason these children should be treated separately."

Long said there are city and state discrimination laws on the books and that authorities should enforce them to stop gay-bashing.

"What next? Maybe we should have schools for chubby kids who get picked on. Maybe all kids who wear glasses should have special schools. It's ridiculous," he said.

What burns Long most is the $3 million spent on renovations. "Maybe this is one of the reasons the city has no money," he said.

Arthur Larsen, who graduated from the program last month as valedictorian, is thrilled with its expansion into a full-fledged school. "I'm now an alumnus of a real school!" he said. "There's going to be more students. In four years, I want to work here."

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ski

I've always had a hard time understanding the need for separation when we have been striving for equality since the Emancipation Proclamation. I'll admit that the trouble is because I'm just your average Joe, white, straight, middle class, NERD, and all of that good jonk. I want to think that if they can have gay-only schools, what about straight-only schools? Here's my opinion: I think it's good that they can have a learning environment where they know they won't be teased or ridiculed, but they're just distancing themselves from "straight" kids... ideally separate, but equal... however, that gives me bad vibes about possible discrimination issues arising again

topane

If you want to be equal, don't separate yourselves. I do not think this should be a publically-funded school. It's not like these kids are mentally or physically handicapped.

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ski

That's what I was getting at... instead of spending all of that money to separate them, if you could somehow spend it to help other people be accepting, or at least more tolerant of it (if they're anti- to begin with).

avlena

what about having single sex schools? is that okay, or is it promoting unequality between the two genders? i have a few friends who went to an all-girls school, and said it was way better then attending a co-ed school, because there was less distraction. could a similar argument be made then that they wanted a gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender school to cut down on the distraction that conflict between gay & straight students?

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revil

That's the stupidest idea I ever heard. Just because you're different doesn't mean you need your own school. That will just make it harder for them. The people in the "normal" school will look at them as outcasts and the people in the gay schools may spite them for this and may have a more difficult time associating with them.

zenbooty

My opinion about single sex schools is similar to my opinion on gay schools. If some private interest wants to set up their own private school they can let in anyone they want. I don't want to see any publicly funded schools segregated in any manner.

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brainsmile

should lead to interesting sporting events....

Dirty Sanchez

Atleast this school won't have to deal with unwanted pregnancies

hapoo

hmm heres my question. Are the bathrooms separated by sex or sexual preference?

Ladogaboy

What about bisexual kids?

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DankNstickY

that makes for a perfect target for homophobes who are willing to do some damage.

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LPMiller

I wanted to attack you for making this comment. But then, I started to think about it, and got really confused as to how it would work either way. Getting confused caused a headache, so I just sorta dropped it.

I don't think this needs to be a publicly funded school, but I can see the benefit of having it. Also, I imagine the school dances have a lot more rhythm then they did in my school.

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hapoo

lol you an me both. After i posted it i thought about it and figured it would make no difference. Unless your bi and then it would be your choice.

molecularfire

Man... when they graduate, these kids are really going to have trouble dealing with the fact that they are going to have to deal with people, a lot of whom will be prejudiced against them. The only problem with holding your head under water, is that eventually you will have to get up for air.

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Nija

that's so gay...

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attgig

how bout nerd schools?
target of all the jocks to go to the nerd schools and give wedgies!

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Ladogaboy

A lot of people have to walk out the door every morning and face the fact that many people hate them for no other reason than that they are "different."

nickel

next all the ugly people, fat people, and redheads with frizzy hair will want their own schools.

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Airencracken

Bingo. This whole seperate school idea is three steps back. I have a much better solution for these kids. LEARN TO DEAL WITH IT! I dealt with all the harassment (I had a lot), and so does every other kid that isn't in a certain clique. Every kid is alienated from something. What a bunch of whiners. Somebody call the Waaaaaaaaaaah-mbulance!

And publically funded? Don't even get me started....

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