New York City Opens Public High School for Gays and Lesbians

NEW YORK —  Demonstrators cheered and jeered students arriving Monday for the first day of classes at Harvey Milk School in Greenwich Village, New York’s first public high school for gays and lesbians.

“We all want our schools to be safer for all kids,” said Marisa Ragonese, 25, who sat on the sidewalk outside the school. “But right now we need to be sure the kids who are harassed and bullied have a safe environment, someplace they can go.”

Supporters of the new, full-time school easily outnumbered a handful of opponents who set up camp across the street.

Greg Davis was among those protesters.

“I think it’s a little ridiculous,” Davis said. “They are giving them special laws. Should we have special schools for nerds who get their lunch money stolen? There are already laws in place [to protect gay students].”

The school -- named after a gay San Francisco politician who was killed in 1978 -- got its start nearly two decades ago as a privately funded program. Then the New York City Board of Education in June 2002 voted to spend $3.2 million to expand the program and increase its enrollment from 50 to 170 students at the start of this school year.

Controversy mounted this summer when city officials announced the creation of an entirely separate public high school designed to be a safe environment for gay and transgender students, who sometimes face abuse in the larger school system.

Randi Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers, joined about 200 supporters outside the school Monday.

“Public schools are about children and about ensuring that children get a safe and decent and good education,” she said. “The union stands with the teachers who wanted to work at this school.”

But critics contend the program is a short-term solution, and say the focus should be on making all schools safe for such traumatized students.

“The needs of gay teenagers can best be served by making sure that they, like all New York students, are able to attend regular public high schools in safety, free from bullying,” the New York Times said in an editorial after the separate high school was announced.

Police kept the demonstrators behind wooden barriers Monday, and the school day was uninterrupted.