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"People do use the term `gay' as an adjective to describe anybody stupid or crazy or not cool. It's degrading the whole term and what it represents," Melanie, a student interviewed said. "Words hurt," she added. "A gay kid could be on the brink, ready to give up, and hears that word all the time. I can be in a conversation down the hall, and I can hear it. It grabs me. You can't avoid it. People should understand not to do that." The public schools' failure to protect these students means that they are left to choose between suffering alone as they seek an education or leaving the mean-feeling environment by dropping out of school. The bad feelings the students feel are worsened in many cases by the rejection of their families, communities, individual teachers and administrators, and rejection by members of the adult lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities who are too scared of being "out-ed" to offer support to gay youth. .
The rise in bad happenings against homosexual youth has brought legislature protecting the rights to equal treatment within schools and other civic functions. It may be easier to read sex discrimination to include sexual orientation discrimination than it would be to make legislation making discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation illegal. In the United States, Wisconsin's employment discrimination law includes sexual orientation discrimination within its prohibition on discrimination based on sex. The Oregon Court of Appeals has found that the state law banning discrimination based on sex also applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Critics have said that if the homosexual movement wants to stop society's homophobia, making different schools is not a good idea. They say public school officials who understand prejudice in its many different forms and would work to stop it are needed. They see that on the cover, making Harvey Milk High bigger looks like a good plan.
