<p>I’m sorry to hear about that, too. Remember, though, that things do progress sometimes, and change for the better as the years go by. From what I hear from my son, there are a <em>lot</em> of gay and lesbian kids at Chicago who are in their first and second years. If that’s a trend, it’s certainly a positive one.</p>
<p>PS: Things certainly changed for the better at my son’s high school over the years. 20 years ago, it was best known as the school where a group of athletes sexually assaulted a mentally handicapped girl in one of their basements, using a miniature baseball bat. It was known as a school where bullying was tolerated, alcohol was widely and freely consumed, athletics were worshipped, and not many kids cared about academics. After that whole crisis, and all the associated bad publicity (including a book and a TV movie), they instituted a zero tolerance policy for bullying and harassment, de-emphasized athletics, and emphasized academics. Now, it’s been consistently rated among the top 10 schools in New Jersey for some years. And nobody ever tried to stuff my son into a garbage can, or anything of the kind. (If they had, of course, I would have personally disemboweled them.)</p>
<p>I’m sure many of you could identify the school, but I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention its name here. Thanks.</p>