U.S. School cancels prom over ''lesbian date''

[trillionaire]

A school board in the US state of Mississippi has cancelled a high school prom after a female student asked to attend with her girlfriend.

The board said it would not host the event due to "distractions to the educational process".

Student Constance McMillen, 18, said the move was in retaliation for her request to bring her girlfriend to the event and wear a tuxedo.

The school had circulated a memo prohibiting same-sex dates.

Ms McMillen, 18, approached school officials shortly before the memo was issued.

Ultimatum

According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is backing Ms McMillen''s case, the school board told her that she and her partner would not be allowed to arrive at the event together nor would she be allowed to wear a tuxedo, AP reported.

Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Fulton also reserved the right to ask Ms McMillen and her girlfriend to leave if it made any other students feel uncomfortable, the ACLU said.

The ACLU had given the Itawamba County school district until Wednesday to reverse the school''s ban on same-sex couples attending proms.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the board said it hoped that "private citizens will organise an event for the juniors and seniors" instead.

Ms McMillen said cancelling the prom was an act of "retaliation".

"A bunch of kids at school are really going to hate me for this," she told local media.

She also said that when she asked a teacher about the school''s ban on same-sex dates at the prom, she was told she had to remember where she was.

BBC article...

 

[Maria D]

I am a high school teacher in Maine and we (the students and I) were talking about this all day. How sad! But it gave me a wonderful and hopeful feeling to be in the midst of youth at my school that was as appalled by this as I was. Things are so different here. Our students are so accepting of each other, be it ethnicity, sexual orientation, whatever. Our Gay-Straight Alliance club is just that -- gays and straights that work together for acceptance for all. As for our prom, it is common for kids to go in groups, but not paired with dates. A group, sometimes all girls or all guys but usually mixed, will do the whole fancy dress/tux/limo thing together. No one would care if a girl wore a tux! As someone old enough to remember the angst of the possibility of not going to prom because no boy had asked yet, I think this group thing is just great.

This girl in Mississippi is one brave kid.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I sincerely hope this girl doesn''t get hurt over this. I remember being out in highschool a few years ago and there were definitely occasions of physical altercations. And that''s growing up in a fairly affluent (though conservative) place with good friends and teachers. We weren''t allowed same sex dates either so we just signed up singly and met up there.


I think times are changing fast though and I''m looking forward to homophobia and discrimination diminish with every new generation.

 

[Kaleigh]

I hope they rethink this. She''s a brave girl to come forward and wish her all the best.

Seriously, I see this as live and let live...

I could say a lot more, but it would get me in trouble.....


It''s 2010... I would think in this day and age, we have come to a place of acceptance??

Guessing not, and that''s sad. What kind of message does that send to our youth??

Suicides are way up. This doesn''t help. You can hide your head in the sand, but when coming up for air, it''s still there.....

 

[miraclesrule]

I was so ready to thump an administrator against the empty brain when I read about this decision. It''s bad enough that they dictated that two girls couldn''t go together even if they weren''t lesbian, but to cancel the prom entirely and then have this one girl bear the brunt of the wrath of the other students. It''s beyond absurd.

It''s totally misplaced blame at this point. Everyone is blaming this girl when it is the narrow minded bigoted control freak administrators that robbed the students of their prom. Shame on them.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

It''s pathetic when the people whose job it is to advance civilization and enligntenment choose to keep living in the dark ages.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 3/12/2010 7:55:23 AM
Author: Madam Bijoux
It''s pathetic when the people whose job it is to advance civilization and enligntenment choose to keep living in the dark ages.

+1.

mz

 

[Snicklefritz]

Outrageous!

What about the whole notion of encouraging kids to be themselves? Guess that flies right out the window when sexuality is the issue in question.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 3/12/2010 12:42:29 AM
Author: miraclesrule
It''s totally misplaced blame at this point. Everyone is blaming this girl when it is the narrow minded bigoted control freak administrators that robbed the students of their prom. Shame on them.

This is what worried me when I read the article on Yahoo yesterday. I hope she is strong enough to keep her head high when everyone is treating her badly - because you know the other kids are being intentionally cruel to her right now.

 

[FrekeChild]

 

[MonkeyPie]

She already has a fan page supporting her on FB - it''s freaking awesome.

 

[bee*]

That is absolutely ridiculous. My little sister is going to her debs (our equivalent of prom) this year and she''s going with her girlfriend. There''s no problem at all with her bringing her gf thankfully.

 

[lulu]

Date: 3/12/2010 12:42:29 AM
Author: miraclesrule
I was so ready to thump an administrator against the empty brain when I read about this decision. It''s bad enough that they dictated that two girls couldn''t go together even if they weren''t lesbian, but to cancel the prom entirely and then have this one girl bear the brunt of the wrath of the other students. It''s beyond absurd.

It''s totally misplaced blame at this point. Everyone is blaming this girl when it is the narrow minded bigoted control freak administrators that robbed the students of their prom. Shame on them.

That''s the part that really pushed me over the edge. Cancelling the prom so the other kids will resent her. That''s truly vindictive.

 

[vespergirl]

Sometimes I really hate the South.

 

[trillionaire]

what could be more "distracting to the educational process" than angry and disappointed classmates seething over their lost prom? Way to set an example for young people

I can''t believe this is happening in 2010.

CANNOT.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 3/12/2010 5:01:12 PM
Author: vespergirl
Sometimes I really hate the South.

its not that i don''t think this could happen in the North but i do share enough of the sentiment that i refuse to travel as a tourist and spend $ in those states for this very reason.

mz

 

[ksinger]

Whoopdeedoo!! I''m up fer ''nother Civil War, how ''bout YEW??

 

[movie zombie]

no re another civil war, but discretionary income is spent at my discretion and i choose to not support communities that do not have more open values. i''m not naive enough to think that this might not happen in the north and i''d not spend my tourist dollars there either, if that were the case. there are many good people in the South but, unfortunately, there are still people in public positions of power that refused to move into the 20th century much less the 21st.

mz

 

[TheDoctor]

I think times are changing fast though and I''m looking forward to homophobia and discrimination diminish with every new generation.

Now, if we can just get rid of that discrimination by colour thingy, we may be onto something wonderful.
Wonderful.
My kids don''t see colour. They only see people.
''Bout time for the rest of the modern world.

 

[ksinger]

Date: 3/12/2010 7:40:22 PM
Author: movie zombie
no re another civil war, but discretionary income is spent at my discretion and i choose to not support communities that do not have more open values. i''m not naive enough to think that this might not happen in the north and i''d not spend my tourist dollars there either, if that were the case. there are many good people in the South but, unfortunately, there are still people in public positions of power that refused to move into the 20th century much less the 21st.

mz

I''m just more breathless at the level of disdain you show for an entire region of the US - "The South". If I were to change only a very few words and slightly tweak some phrasing, I could turn your rationale into a equivalently disdainful statement against "black people" that would have everyone on this board howling to high heaven. Unfair generalizations and stereotypes are ugly no matter which direction they go. "The South" is not an entity, it is PEOPLE, and they are no more homogeneous or guaranateed to be one way or another by their location than people in that oh-so-enlightened region you think you live in.

I just think it ironic that a thread that is all outraged at the unfair treatment of a lesbian girl would devolve into a hatefest stereotyping THE SOUTH. Ain''t it great to have a group to hate?? We all just LOVE it!!!

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 3/12/2010 11:51:48 PM
Author: ksinger

Date: 3/12/2010 7:40:22 PM
Author: movie zombie
no re another civil war, but discretionary income is spent at my discretion and i choose to not support communities that do not have more open values. i''m not naive enough to think that this might not happen in the north and i''d not spend my tourist dollars there either, if that were the case. there are many good people in the South but, unfortunately, there are still people in public positions of power that refused to move into the 20th century much less the 21st.

mz

I''m just more breathless at the level of disdain you show for an entire region of the US - ''The South''. If I were to change only a very few words and slightly tweak some phrasing, I could turn your rationale into a equivalently disdainful statement against ''black people'' that would have everyone on this board howling to high heaven. Unfair generalizations and stereotypes are ugly no matter which direction they go. ''The South'' is not an entity, it is PEOPLE, and they are no more homogeneous or guaranateed to be one way or another by their location than people in that oh-so-enlightened region you think you live in.

I just think it ironic that a thread that is all outraged at the unfair treatment of a lesbian girl would devolve into a hatefest stereotyping THE SOUTH. Ain''t it great to have a group to hate?? We all just LOVE it!!!

your choice to be breathless. part of the reason i chose to not spend $ in the South is because of the race issue......your $, you spend it where you want. my $, i spend it were i want. seems you''ve got issues re enlightened regions...unlike you i don''t think there are any.

mz

 

[Tuckins1]

"Educational process" at prom? I don''t know about your prom, but ours had NOTHING to do with education. Just dancing and having fun. BTW, we had lesbians who brought their girlfriends to prom, and nobody could have cared less!

 

[ArtistJess]

Date: 3/12/2010 5:01:12 PM
Author: vespergirl
Sometimes I really hate the South.

Trust me, not everybody in the south is stuck in the dark ages.

 

[PumpkinPie]

Date: 3/12/2010 3:22:07 PM
Author: lulu

Date: 3/12/2010 12:42:29 AM

Author: miraclesrule

I was so ready to thump an administrator against the empty brain when I read about this decision. It''s bad enough that they dictated that two girls couldn''t go together even if they weren''t lesbian, but to cancel the prom entirely and then have this one girl bear the brunt of the wrath of the other students. It''s beyond absurd.


It''s totally misplaced blame at this point. Everyone is blaming this girl when it is the narrow minded bigoted control freak administrators that robbed the students of their prom. Shame on them.

That''s the part that really pushed me over the edge. Cancelling the prom so the other kids will resent her. That''s truly vindictive.

Agreed - teens can be so cruel and GBTL youth are already so vulnerable to depression and suicide - they don''t need help being picked on and victimised!

 

[trillionaire]

Date: 3/12/2010 11:51:48 PM
Author: ksinger

Date: 3/12/2010 7:40:22 PM
Author: movie zombie
no re another civil war, but discretionary income is spent at my discretion and i choose to not support communities that do not have more open values. i''m not naive enough to think that this might not happen in the north and i''d not spend my tourist dollars there either, if that were the case. there are many good people in the South but, unfortunately, there are still people in public positions of power that refused to move into the 20th century much less the 21st.

mz

I''m just more breathless at the level of disdain you show for an entire region of the US - ''The South''. If I were to change only a very few words and slightly tweak some phrasing, I could turn your rationale into a equivalently disdainful statement against ''black people'' that would have everyone on this board howling to high heaven. Unfair generalizations and stereotypes are ugly no matter which direction they go. ''The South'' is not an entity, it is PEOPLE, and they are no more homogeneous or guaranateed to be one way or another by their location than people in that oh-so-enlightened region you think you live in.

I just think it ironic that a thread that is all outraged at the unfair treatment of a lesbian girl would devolve into a hatefest stereotyping THE SOUTH. Ain''t it great to have a group to hate?? We all just LOVE it!!!

I''m no lover of the South, but I''m no ''lumper'' either. I spent 5 years in the Chapel Hill, NC area, a bastion of progressive thought in a sea of Southern Traditional thought. I lived in a small town with a gay mayor, that was full of co-ops, REALLY free markets (1st Saturdays), and hippie, lovely openminded folks.

I now live in VA, but the northern part. It''s not really discernable from DC, and is very open minded. I judge my places individually, just like I do my people. So yes, KSinger, I understand your outrage.

 

[Steel]

I find it strange that the school would have taken such formal action against what I imagine would have been an informal question/request made by a student.

Around here most secondary schools have given up having a formal prom and it is organised by a 3rd party, not that that piece of information really matters; just a by-the-by.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

I really dislike the school''s action in canceling the prom. I really hope the other students don''t blame the girl personally for the cancellation, and I hope this doesn''t inflame any homophobic sentiments on the part of the other students.

 

[ksinger]

Date: 3/13/2010 3:15:35 PM
Author: trillionaire

Date: 3/12/2010 11:51:48 PM
Author: ksinger

Date: 3/12/2010 7:40:22 PM
Author: movie zombie
no re another civil war, but discretionary income is spent at my discretion and i choose to not support communities that do not have more open values. i''m not naive enough to think that this might not happen in the north and i''d not spend my tourist dollars there either, if that were the case. there are many good people in the South but, unfortunately, there are still people in public positions of power that refused to move into the 20th century much less the 21st.

mz

I''m just more breathless at the level of disdain you show for an entire region of the US - ''The South''. If I were to change only a very few words and slightly tweak some phrasing, I could turn your rationale into a equivalently disdainful statement against ''black people'' that would have everyone on this board howling to high heaven. Unfair generalizations and stereotypes are ugly no matter which direction they go. ''The South'' is not an entity, it is PEOPLE, and they are no more homogeneous or guaranateed to be one way or another by their location than people in that oh-so-enlightened region you think you live in.

I just think it ironic that a thread that is all outraged at the unfair treatment of a lesbian girl would devolve into a hatefest stereotyping THE SOUTH. Ain''t it great to have a group to hate?? We all just LOVE it!!!

I''m no lover of the South, but I''m no ''lumper'' either. I spent 5 years in the Chapel Hill, NC area, a bastion of progressive thought in a sea of Southern Traditional thought. I lived in a small town with a gay mayor, that was full of co-ops, REALLY free markets (1st Saturdays), and hippie, lovely openminded folks.

I now live in VA, but the northern part. It''s not really discernable from DC, and is very open minded. I judge my places individually, just like I do my people. So yes, KSinger, I understand your outrage.

I appreciate that Trill, I really do. I''m glad somebody got it.

 

[trillionaire]

Date: 3/13/2010 8:00:43 PM
Author: ksinger

Date: 3/13/2010 3:15:35 PM
Author: trillionaire

Date: 3/12/2010 11:51:48 PM
Author: ksinger

Date: 3/12/2010 7:40:22 PM
Author: movie zombie
no re another civil war, but discretionary income is spent at my discretion and i choose to not support communities that do not have more open values. i''m not naive enough to think that this might not happen in the north and i''d not spend my tourist dollars there either, if that were the case. there are many good people in the South but, unfortunately, there are still people in public positions of power that refused to move into the 20th century much less the 21st.

mz

I''m just more breathless at the level of disdain you show for an entire region of the US - ''The South''. If I were to change only a very few words and slightly tweak some phrasing, I could turn your rationale into a equivalently disdainful statement against ''black people'' that would have everyone on this board howling to high heaven. Unfair generalizations and stereotypes are ugly no matter which direction they go. ''The South'' is not an entity, it is PEOPLE, and they are no more homogeneous or guaranateed to be one way or another by their location than people in that oh-so-enlightened region you think you live in.

I just think it ironic that a thread that is all outraged at the unfair treatment of a lesbian girl would devolve into a hatefest stereotyping THE SOUTH. Ain''t it great to have a group to hate?? We all just LOVE it!!!

I''m no lover of the South, but I''m no ''lumper'' either. I spent 5 years in the Chapel Hill, NC area, a bastion of progressive thought in a sea of Southern Traditional thought. I lived in a small town with a gay mayor, that was full of co-ops, REALLY free markets (1st Saturdays), and hippie, lovely openminded folks.

I now live in VA, but the northern part. It''s not really discernable from DC, and is very open minded. I judge my places individually, just like I do my people. So yes, KSinger, I understand your outrage.

I appreciate that Trill, I really do. I''m glad somebody got it.

KSinger, I started grad school in NC, and my first year cohort consisted of a transgendered girl, an ex-mormon who had been thrown out of BYU for having sex in the dorms, and an alternate for ''Road Rules'', to name a few... I basically HAD to say something to back you up, lol!

My pleasure dear! I''ve had a lovely time in the south!

 

[DearBuddha]

I was furious when I saw this on MSNBC. I''m a teacher, and actions like this would never fly at a school here in Boston. In fact, two girls went together to a prom I attended in high school and no one thought anything odd about it.

The admins were wrong to cancel prom simply because a lesbian student requested something they deem wrong; it only reinforces the perception that gays and lesbians should be apart from our own society, and therefore deserve to be treated differently and negatively. I have several gay members of my family and the idea of someone treating them differently to make a point infuriates me

Who can we complain to about this? Surely there have been others who''ve complained to the school board regarding this matter.