UK could open its first gay school

The North West English city of Manchester could soon become home to the UK’s first school for LGBT pupils.

Last week, the Joyce Layland LGBT Centre in Manchester announced that it is conducting a feasibility study on creating “an LGBT-inclusive school.”

It said in a statement that the school would be similar to the famous Harvey Milk gay school in New York City.

It would be designed for – but not limited to – gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people, as well as those questioning their sexuality.

Amelia Lee, strategic director for LGBT Youth North West, the organisation behind the initiative, told Children and Young People Now that the proposed school would take around 40 full-time pupils and was about “saving lives”.

“This will provide for LGBT young people who don’t feel they fit in the mainstream,” Lee said.

She explained: “Lots of pupils have a really tough time and we want to do what we can to help those pupils and to give them additional support. We can either hope every school is going to be inclusive or we can recognise we are not there yet and we need more specialised schools.”

The organisation noted on its website that no school plans have yet been developed and the process is at the very early consultation stages, adding: “If young LGBT people tell us they want an LGBT Inclusive school we will explore this.”

The Harvey Milk High School was established in 1985 in the East Village of New York City to help LGBT youth who’ve struggled to be accepted in their home schools. With around 100 pupils it aims to create “a safe educational environment for all young people.”

The school was named after the late Californian politician and activist Harvey Milk, known as the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the US.