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"The first school in Britain for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people could open its doors within the next three years. Based in the centre of Manchester, the specialist state school plans to take 40 full-time students from across the area and will offer up to 20 part-time places for young people who want to continue attending a mainstream school."This is about saving lives," said Amelia Lee, strategic director for LGBT Youth North West, the youth work charity behind the plans. "Despite the laws that claim to protect gay people from homophobic bullying, the truth is that in schools especially, bullying is still incredibly common and causes young people to feel isolated and alienated, which often leads to truanting and, in the worst-case scenarios, to suicide.""
article continues at http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/jan/16/school-for- lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-pupils-manchester
The intentions are of course laudable. But on the whole I'm not in favour. Sexuality is by no means the only reason kids get bullied (it wasn't the reason that I was bullied horrendously at the ages of 12 and 13). And LGBT kids can be bullies themselves (one of my persecutors, now dead, was gay), so by itself segregating gay kids won't stop bullying. And previous tormentors may continue to bully, through social media, of course.
And I think that shuffling gay kids off somewhere special will do nothing to help straight kids see being gay as normal. The history of "separate but equal" is an unpleasant and bloody one!
For me, the answer lies in ensuring that ALL schools work hard to make an abhorrence of bullying a part of the general atmosphere and ethos of the school. Bullying stands far less chance of success if bystanders realise that turning a blind eye makes them complicit in the bullying, and refuse to stand by idly. The effects of bullying are far less if kids feel that they have access to completely non-judgemental and supportive adults on a routine basis.
Yes, that costs money, and takes both willingness and time. But, in my opinion, it's the only thing that will work - not just for LGBT kids, but for all kids who are vulnerable for whatever reason.
What do others think?
"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. ... Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night devoid of stars." Martin Luther King
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LGBT school for Manchester, UK ?
By: NW on Fri, 16 January 2015 22:03 |
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Re: LGBT school for Manchester, UK ?
By: timmy on Fri, 16 January 2015 22:07 |
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Re: LGBT school for Manchester, UK ?
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Re: LGBT school for Manchester, UK ?
By: ChrisR on Sat, 17 January 2015 05:12 |
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Re: LGBT school for Manchester, UK ?
By: timmy on Sat, 17 January 2015 09:41 |
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Re: LGBT school for Manchester, UK ?
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Re: LGBT school for Manchester, UK ?
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