It's clear that a "safe space" is needed for any and all who might be considered "other" or "different" in our schools and city, which is a sad commentary on Melrose as a community. With all its superficial protestations and organizations claiming all manner of virtuous protection and promotion of cultural awareness, this is a city where the administration actively protects those who violate civil rights laws and the principles of common decency. This is a community that allows a truly abusive administration not only to stay in office but keeps renewing contracts and reelecting those who have a proven record of abusive and illegal conduct. This is a community that sat by and witnessed many years of ugly racist conduct of a certain powerful middle school teacher who was allowed to move up to the high school to tick in a last year before retiring, after this same "educator" told a black student to "go back to the plantation." This community had a few brave souls who surfaced to testify in support of the brave art teacher who was fired after refusing to separate students of color as mandated by a grossly incompetent department manager and supported by an egregiously abusive and ignorant super (and her outrageously incompetent legal counsel). This is a community that did not take to the streets when a dozen (a dozen!) red-haired middle school students were assaulted, bloodied and bruised over the course of a whole school day (that would never have happened under Brow, say what you will about him!), and a community that allows the administration to continue its many pretenses of doing all that is politically and morally correct despite the glaring evidence to the contrary. This is a community that has long allowed certain teachers free reign to bully and demean students (we all know who they are), and an administrative policy of meting out dire and costly retaliatory action towards parents who dare to question them. This is a community that continues to allow its main office, as it were, and officers (legal, financial, technical) to behave with contempt towards those who pay their salaries.
Bravo to those few brave souls who have stood tall in the face of the ugly cancer of ignorance and contempt that is metastasizing. Bravo to all who helped form this middle school club. It is obviously sorely needed.
MFD- Its not only up to the administration to stop racism, bigotry...it starts in the home! And after reading some of the posts here are you REALLY that surprised that a safe space is actually needed? It's parents who pass on their bigotry to their kids that continue this ridiculous cycle of ignorance.
It is a very open discussion among students here at MHS about administration, and we are open to hear about adults and teachers comments too. We make up Melrose and the Melrose schooling, and administration is too willing to take away our voices, or avoid commenting about the issues that matter most to us.
Going back to the topic of the middle school's GSA, it is not doing any harm. It isn't shoving anyone's opinions down another's throat, but simply educating. I think it is important to listen rather than being so anti-something when you don't have the cold facts.
To the person who says it starts at home too: I completely agree! I believe with things like this need educating all around, and in different environments rather than the dinner table. There is nothing that brings me closer to my parents than debating and discussing topics that are controversial to many.
Although so much has drastically changed for the LGBT+ community, people still find it a very difficult topic to discuss.
Instead of bashing the GSA club and transgender kids (like this discussion started), come together and have a productive conversation because you cannot undo any of the progress the LGBT+ community has made no matter how much typing you do.
Yeah, sure. Since there's so little of those gays in the U.S. and since Caitlin Jenner is out and about now they're good right? They can marry almost everywhere, they got what they want, so they're fine. Well, their fine as long as I dont have to look at any of those gays flaunting their "lifestyle" in my face like they love to do. It's only a few thousand hate crimes a year and it doesnt effect me so yeah, problem solved. Let the kids have their little club, I'll look like I "tolerate" it while in reality, be sickened by what they are and I'll spread my bigotry in subtle ways like so many do.