Pride High is getting closer to reality

I blogged about the Chicago's Gay version of Xavier's school for LGBT gifted youngsters last month, and since then, Chicago is getting closer to that goal.

The School for Social Justice Pride Campus, which officials say will not be exclusive to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, is aimed at being safe and welcoming for any student looking for another school option, said Josh Edelman, executive officer in the Chicago Public Schools' Office of New Schools. Pride Campus would be separate physically but be attached administratively to the School for Social Justice.

School officials said the standards and curriculum for the school would be in line with other schools in the district. The school would also offer counseling for students, though because of federal laws, officials cannot ask students about their sexual orientation. The curriculum would not rely on, but would incorporate lessons about, sexual identity in history and literature classes, officials said.

"It's about creating another option for kids," Edelman said. "When it comes down to it, though, it is all about having a choice and providing high-quality options for students, whether they are gay or not."

This option will be great for their development. The high school experience is still a mess to endure, especially for our LGBT youth.

86.2 percent of them reported being verbally harassed, 44.1 percent physically harassed and 22.1 percent physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation. Then, the dropout levels are higher among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students because of more frequent truancy. Almost 32 percent of those students missed a class because of feeling unsafe, compared with only 5.5 percent of heterosexual students nationwide, the study said.

I think this is a great idea. Imagine if some of us had this as an option. What would our lives have been if we had a safe place for school. It's very exciting to think about what this school could do for their self-esteem, personalities, and their souls. I hope this works out, we do not need another Lawrence King incident.

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