Plans for LGBTQ High School Could Be Back in Closet

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Oct 23, 2008 9:45PM

Mayor Daley today came out against plans to open up a new high school that primarily serves lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. This is just the latest bump in the road for Pride Campus of Social Justice High School, which would have been similar to New York's Harvey Milk High School and Milwaukee's Alliance High School. The Chicago Board of Education yesterday delayed a vote on the school until November 19. Daley, who appoints members to the school board, says he had no sway over its decision.

The mayor says he's against the plan because of concerns that the school would amount to segregation, a sentiment mirrored by Andy Thayer of the Gay Liberation Network and Rick Garcia of Equality Illinois. "You have to look at whether or not you isolate and segregate children. A holistic approach has always been to have children of all different backgrounds-- in schools. When you start isolating children and you say, 'Only 50 percent here, 40 percent here' -- same thing we went through with the disabled -- then you want to do that when they're adults," Daley said.

While Daley hasn't been at a Pride Parade recently, he's hardly someone who would be considered homophobic, which is why this latest move is somewhat baffling. For starters, Daley appointed the city council's first opening gay alderman, Tom Tunney (44th). The mayor is also a supporter of same-sex marriage, ushered in the 2006 Gay Games, and helped provide funding to the Center on Halsted, where a rooftop garden is named after him. Pride Campus seemed to be on the fast track with support from Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan, who wanted to open the school in 2010.

By Hunter Clauss

Photo by mhaithaca