‘Equality Extends to All’

Fairfax High School teacher Virginia Uribe counsels gay and lesbian students at schools throughout the district. For that she deserves support for her attempt to help young people, not the contempt being hurled her way by insensitive legislators. Assembly Republicans who have criticized her efforts certainly should not be allowed to get away with holding any Los Angeles school funds hostage because of her work.

Assemblywoman Marian W. La Follette (R-Northridge) charged that the program that Uribe has created “is unfit for students, and the taxpayers are paying for it.” At her request, Assembly Republicans have voted to oppose money for any new programs in Los Angeles city schools until the district drops its support for Uribe’s work. It’s unclear what special funds the Assembly Republicans might oppose, and fortunately on many bills their votes alone cannot block passage.

In contrast to La Follette’s portrayal of Uribe’s work, the counselor is helping students who, because of social pressures, could turn to drugs or alcohol, drop out of school or even attempt suicide. Sometimes unable to express their feelings without such a counselor to help, they face loneliness and alienation. “Family disruption is almost universal” among gay and lesbian students, Uribe adds. Helping these students seems a fit mission indeed for a teacher. As for paying for the program, all that the school system does is free Uribe for half her day to work on the project.

Uribe herself has a far more temperate reaction to La Follette’s comments than the assemblywoman has to Uribe’s work. “Equality extends to all of our children, including gay and lesbian children,” she says simply. “We are a public school system, and we should try to meet the needs of all of our students.”