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Chicago may open gay school
LGBT students in Chicago to be taught in gay school
"The curriculum would focus on gay heroes and encourage an interest in social justice and learning"
A gay high school may open in Chicago, where Barack Obama was formerly a state senator.
Arne Duncan, head of public schools, outlined the plans in a bid to reduce suicide and depression rates amongst LGBT students.
The school would be called the Pride Campus of Social Justice High School, and would accommodate 600 students, half of whom would be gay. The curriculum would focus on gay heroes and encourage an interest in social justice and learning.
Duncan said:
"If you look at national studies, you see gay and lesbian students with high dropout rates, studies show they are disproportionately homeless.
"I think there is a niche there we need to fill."
The school's proposed opening in 2010 is dependant on approval from the Chicago Public Schools board, but it seems that there may be opposition from gay rights groups, who claim that the school would only promote segregation. Laurie Higgins, a representative from the Illinois Family Institute, said:
"Kids who have sexual attractions toward their same sex are not inherently, fundamentally different people who have different needs, so… I think there's a problem with separating them out.”
