Windy City proposes 'gay'-friendly school

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A battleground is forming in Chicago over a proposed "gay"-friendly high school for homosexual, lesbian, and transgendered students, or any other students who want to attend. According to reports, taxpayer money would be used to fund the school.

The school would be called the Pride Campus of Social Justice High School, and plans are under way to possibly open its doors in 2010. Advocates of the school say it is needed in order to combat the bullying, dropout, and depression rate among homosexual students. The Chicago Sun-Times quotes a member of the school's design team who says students at the school would be taught about "gay and lesbian historical figures" so those students "have heroes."

Laurie Higgins and her group, the Illinois Family Institute, are at the forefront of the fray. "A high school that is dedicated to or centrally focused on homosexuality necessarily requires that public educators have come to some prior conclusions about the nature and morality of homosexuality," she points out. Those are aspects of homosexuality that she says stand "far outside the purview of public educators." (hear audio report)

Pro-family advocate Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About homosexuality [Caution: This website contains graphic images] takes issue with the fact that the school would be run on taxpayer monies. "The taxpayers -- whether they're Christians, Orthodox Jews, Muslims -- they will be funding [this] pro-homosexual indoctrination school for so-called 'gay' youth," he explains.

The activist also takes issue with the prospective principal of the school --29-year-old Chad Weiden -- who was asked what it would have been like if had had a school like Pride Campus to attend. "

...[H]e says quote: 'I would have made progress a lot earlier. I would have had a model of what it meant to be a gay man -- that a gay man could be in a committed relationship, a marriage; could have children. I didn't know that was possible.'

"Well, it's not possible," LaBarbera reacts. "Two men cannot produce a child -- and they can't, quote, 'have children.'"

Higgins agrees that public funding for the school would be inappropriate. And as for the rationale for the school being needed to combat bullying of homosexual students, she believes rules of conduct should be established and enforced on an equal basis. "The task is to combat harassment and abuse and bullying, while not affirming disordered thinking and immoral behavior," she explains.

And while she acknowledges that some homosexual students are bullied, Higgins' experience in public education reveals another group that she feels suffers more. "I can say with assurance that the kids who are very conservative Christians are probably the ones who are the most ridiculed or made fun of," she states.

Chicago Public Schools is soliciting public input for a vote. LaBarbera and Higgins both encourage concerned Chicago parents to petition that the school not be allowed to open.