Joe Greenlee tells his Cole Valley story

Topics include mental health, attempted suicide, sexuality, policies about homosexuality, and the political environment

I published a blog post recently reflecting on my Cole Valley experience and why I have such negative feelings about it. Since then, a support group has started, there’s a dedicated website, a joint statement has been published, and we delivered it to Cole Valley in our first meeting. We’ve visited Cole Valley twice (1st and 2nd), and they just acknowledged us for the first time in a dismissive email to all Cole Valley families.

Joe was a past student (Class of 2012), and he wanted to tell his story for the benefit of anyone that wants to listen.

This is the uncut conversation. Below are hyperlinks to highlights if you don’t want to watch it in full.

• Context of the Cole Valley Speaks movement (0:00)
• Joe’s reaction to the movement when he first heard about it (5:25)
• Joe’s background with Cole Valley (9:28)
• Joe grew up in his older brother’s shadow, and that really bothered him (11:15)
• Joe’s diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and he’s dealt with mental health issues since 8th grade. Cole Valley was no help. He attempted suicide in high school. (15:55)
• A teacher knew Joe had bipolar, but when his grades were dropping, she went to his friends to ask if he was doing drugs. That really hurt him. (20:20)
• Joe attempted suicide his junior year. No one noticed the self-harming themes in his papers. (21:55)
• Cole Valley puts sexuality on a pedestal of badness. Joe says it goes back to John Calvin. (27:30)
• Worldviews class demonized gay people. Also, Joe remembers gay people being equated with pedophiles. (36:40)
• Cole Valley is “toeing the party line” regarding homosexuality. Besides the political aspects of their accreditation, they need to think about their market of customers. (39:00)
• Could Cole Valley really change? (43:28)
• Cole Valley is a militaristic and Republican environment (47:10)
• Joe’s message to Cole Valley administration — “consider whether you’re living up to your mission daily” (51:52)
• Joe’s message to prospective parents — “make sure your kid is well-rounded in their social interactions outside the bubble” (53:58)
• Joe’s message to current students — “ask questions of everybody” (56:11)