Let Gay Clubs Meet?

• Position: Opinions about allowing clubs for gay high school students - Brief Article

Not in school, says one California district

YES

We oppose efforts of the Orange, California, school board to prevent the Gay-Straight Alliance of El Modena High School from meeting on school property.

We believe that young people should have the right to form clubs and discuss whatever they think is important.

Student clubs promote the development of future leaders, good citizens, and healthy members of our society. Organizations like the Gay-Straight Alliance benefit the whole school community by helping to establish a school climate where verbal and physical harassment and other hateful acts are viewed as unacceptable. Such clubs can explicitly condemn the bigotry that is too often ignored due to our society's fears about homosexuality.

Gay and Lesbian teens are suffering in our schools because of prejudice and harassment. Added to the other stresses of the teen years and the challenge of rapid passage into adulthood, this problem can lead young people to feel bad about themselves and turn to self-destructive behavior, including isolation, dropping out, drug abuse, and even suicide.

Student clubs such as the GSA help dispel stereotypes, diminish feelings of isolation, and help build self-esteem for their members. They can help make our schools a safer place for all children to learn.

--RUSTY KENNEDY

Executive Director Orange County Human Relations Commission

NO

I believe that homosexual behavior is wrong. That doesn't mean homosexuals are any worse than the rest of us; we're all sinners. I don't presume to judge who is righteous and who is not.

But when a school authorizes a student group called the Gay-Straight Alliance, it isn't just giving kids a place to talk about how they feel. It's...