If you judge the state of gay youth from the most visible elements of the community, it would seem things are going well. There are gay youth scholarships, gay groups in high schools, a film about gay issues in elementary schools, gay youth on TV, gay proms, successful lawsuits against schools that don't protect gay youth, gay youth theater, and much more.
The state of GLBT youth in America is perhaps the best it has ever been. But increased visibility has also meant more harassment and, coupled with a society armed enough for a civil war, many gay youth continue to act out their internal homophobia by killing themselves—or killing others.
But past those headlines, past the extremes of sensational gay overachievers and closeted gay killers, there is a vast middle ground where the bulk of GLBT youth live. The warzone that most youth face is systematic isolation and a vicious mauling of their self-esteem. These youth are at the mercy of a system made up of parents, educators, peers and social workers who would rather put their head in the sand than help youth deal with sexuality issues.
Some youth rise to the challenge and soar above this broken system. Most youth barely survive. Many drug up and drop out. Some suffer declining grades as their everyday attempts to survive make it difficult to concentrate on the three "Rs" ( reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic ) , when the three "Hs" ( hate, harassment and homophobia ) occupy their every waking moment.
So what is to be done? For those GLBT youth fortunate enough to live in New York, Texas or California, there are alternative high schools specifically geared toward making their lives free of fear, allowing them to focus on academics 101 rather than a fate similar to the CBS Survivor show. But Chicago youth have never had such a place to be free to love and learn.
Now, members of the Southwest Side Church of the Open Door, 5954 S. Albany, hope to change that. The Church hosted a forum last Saturday to start a public discussion on the need for a GLBT alternative high school. They want such a school to receive a state charter, and they are seeking community involvement in making their plan a reality, possibly as soon as two years from now.
Kathleen Rose Winter and Associate Pastor Tom Ford, along with other Church of the Open Door members including Hana Anderson, Marvin Patterson, and a Chicago Public School educator who wishes to remain anonymous, were at the meeting. Also attending were Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network members David Larson ( co-chair of GLSEN ) and David Guarino. Church Pastors Karen Hutt and Alma Crawford, who are partners and who just adopted a baby, could not attend the meeting, but they are supporting the effort and are seeking to use Church of the Open Door for the GLBT school's location.
The group came up with a basic mission: "To offer a safe academic environment for youth whose potential for success has been inhibited by adverse environmental circumstances and/or sexual orientation."
This will be no small step for the Chicago community, and hundreds of people and organizations will need to be involved in the process to make sure all of the problems are vetted, and to make sure our community learns from the successes—and failures—of New York City's alternative high school and similar facilities.
But this is a critical move to help the next generation of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgendered. It would be ideal to think we could change homophobia in existing schools, but that process will take many years, if not decades. We can see from the examples of racism and sexism that changing society is not an overnight process. And our youth cannot wait any longer.
The youth who are perhaps most in need of an alternative are already on the streets, they are already abandoned by their own parents or the foster care system. The foster care system in this state has done little to help GLBT youth. In fact, when Outlines has tried to interview GLBT youth who are controlled ( some might say owned—since money does change hands ) by the Department of Children and Family Services, the agency has slammed the door in our faces. For more than a year, we have tried to get access to interview lesbian and gay youth in the DCFS system. Technically, the head of DCFS is their "parent," and therefore, they can tell us we can't talk to "their" kids. Some youth are terrified of losing the few positive things they have ( a better group home, a better foster care family, a better off-site apartment ) , so they will not speak without permission.
But other youth have told Outlines that they fear for their lives every day in group homes and foster care situations. Trans youth in particular are harassed and beat up almost daily because of their outward image. They feel they have no voice, no recourse.
Even before a gay high school comes into place, more needs to be done for these kids— right now. DCFS must be held accountable for the thousands of GLBT youth in its system. They must create an environment free of harassment—from staff, foster parents and other DCFS youth.
What happens if DCFS does not protect their youth? We suggest that they are just as accountable as any school is. We know that successful
