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Seperation of sexual preference
The Harvey Milk High School in New York City has expanded this fall for more than 100 students. In doing so, it has caused a stir among all school districts within the nation. Not only has if affected the school districts, it has affected students as well. Many are for and many are against the opening of a school for gays, bisexuals, and transgender students. I, for one, am against the opening of gay schools.
TOLERANCE AND ACCEPTANCE. Our entire life we have been taught to accept differences---whether it be race, class, or even sexual preference. In order to do so, we, as a whole, need to be educated about differences. Putting gays, bisexuals, and transgender students into their own public school does not help teach the tolerance and acceptance of differences. In fact, it teaches to separate---or in other words, segregate. Perhaps I’m wrong but didn’t gays, bisexuals, and transgender students WANT to be accepted for their sexual preference? So does throwing homosexuals into a gay school give any heterosexual person a chance to learn about them and accept them? I think not. If homosexuals want to be accepted and not treated differently, they must educate. Running away is not educating, therefore, won’t reach the goal of acceptance.
The Real World---yes, you know what I mean. Whether or not a gay, bisexual, or transgender student attends a high school that best fits them, there is no way they will be able to escape the prejudice that occurs in every day life. It isn’t the fact that they won’t be ready, it’s the fact that they WILL have to deal with harassment no matter what. Of course, attending a high school that accepts them will take some weight off, but let’s realize that going through tough times is always a step towards tolerance and acceptance. Everyone deals with harassment every day, no matter his or her sexual preference. Deal with it, don’t run away from it.
My last argument would be the fact of segregation. I’m sure we’ve all heard the line, “History repeats itself”. In the 60’s, the colored people were separated from the white people (which I find ironic because white is a color). First it was separation of race, now it’s separation of sexual preference. Try to convince me that putting heterosexuals into their own school is not segregation. We should not let it happen again. Separating will only cause less and less acceptance of sexual preference. It’s already bad as it is now. This segregation also leaves openings for other segregations. Soon, it’ll be ridiculous things like class, age, school stereotypes, and so on. Please, don’t let segregation get that outrageous.
I speak for many when I say I do not like the idea of dividing homosexuals and heterosexuals. I could argue other reasons but my top three are acceptance and tolerance, facing the real world, and segregation.
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what's your stand?
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10-08-2003 09:17 PM
