Instead of letting 18-year-old senior Constance McMillen wear a tux and bring a female date to the prom, Itawamba Agricultural High School canceled prom for everyone. Because of all the negative attention! And in a statement to parents and students, administrators encouraged other folks to come up with their own (private) prom, of which they could easily exclude the fags. And as we expected, instead of fostering a welcoming environment for queer students, Itawamba’s administrators are helping bring the wrath of the student body against McMillen.
The teenager said she reluctantly returned to school this week after deciding that prolonging her return would only make things worse. “My daddy told me that I needed to show them that I’m still proud of who I am,” she told The Associated Press. “The fact that this will help people later on, that’s what’s helping me to go on.” But she said some of her classmates now blamed her for the event being cancelled. “Somebody said, ‘Thanks for ruining my senior year’,” she said. McMillen said she never expected the college to ditch the event because the school community had invested so much time and effort into making it happen.
The ACLU, which involved itself when McMillen was initially told she couldn’t bring a same-sex date, is still threatening to sue — over the school opting to cancel prom. Might we suggest the ACLU also ask a judge to get the school district to pay for her tux, too? And not just a rental — purchase the thing for her outright.
(In the meantime, her Facebook support group has swelled to 45,000 fans. The group dedicated to opposing Constance’s right to bring her girlfriend to prom stands at zero members, because there isn’t one.)
UPDATE: McMillen and her ACLU attorney Christine Sun appeared on The Early Show this morning.
How about we take this to the next level?
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BUSSY
Well this is bullshit. Even someone who is an anti gay deserves their fucking prom. Queerty, of course she has support…why cancel that event because of one lesbian couple. It makes no sense…since their policy does not allow it why is the girl intentionally stirring trouble by insisting she bring her girlfriend.
Jacque
Bussy you must be trolling or your on the wrong website because, I think everyone who is a homosexual or an ally would agree that she deserved the right to go to the prom. Just like everyone else, and saying she’s just stirring up trouble would be like say Rosa Parks was just stirring up trouble when she wouldn’t give up her seat. As to the school saying this would interfere with the educational process WTF does prom have to do with the educational process. It’s a dance to help these people socialize which they will do in the real word, and guess what in the real world lesbians and gays go to clubs and dance with each other. These “educators” are another example of why people put down southerners which is a same because they surely aren’t all this stupid or I hope not.
rf
Bussy is right. We need federal equal rights for LGBT in line with other protected classes so all school policies can no longer discriminate based on ignorance and hate! Thankfully that equality is coming. Gays will be granted suspect class status and every anti-gay policy, law, directive in the US will fall. It may take a while but I predict that by the time this girl is 30 it will be done! Viva Bussy!
Juno
Christ this is unbelievable. I’m from the UK and cannot imagine this situation even being allowed to happen here. Poor kid, I feel for her, but she’s a brave kid too. Good on her father for teaching her to be proud to be herself. This is shaming.
terrwill
The “adults” knew exactaly what they were doing. They wanted there to be tremendous negativity toward her. To punish her and to make an exapmple out of her for any other kids considering the same thing. As previously stated, a deep pocketed Gay person or oraznizatiion needs to step in and throw the hugest, most fabulous, Gayest prom the world has ever seen………How pathetic these losers are. To punish an entire student body and deny one of the milestones of ones High School life because they hate the Gays so much. One can only hope that Gay karma rears its head, and this leads to a happy ending……..
Jerry Priori
Right, Bussy. Did you whine, too, when Rosa Parks caused trouble for everyone by not moving her ass to the back of the bus? Another goddamn idiot blaming the victim instead of the homophobic school district.
Cam
No. 1 · BUSSY
Well this is bullshit. Even someone who is an anti gay deserves their fucking prom. Queerty, of course she has support…why cancel that event because of one lesbian couple. It makes no sense…since their policy does not allow it why is the girl intentionally stirring trouble by insisting she bring her girlfriend.
_________________
This is SUCH the typical mentality of the poor trash in the south. They think that they are powerless and worthless, and never EVER assign blame against the town leaders, rich people etc… because they believe that they could never win against that. So they always assign blame against one of their own, or somebody that they classify as lower than them. This is why corrupt politicians keep getting elected down there…those people in small towns really don’t think they deserve anything better.
DR
As I said somewhere else yesterday, the ACLU needs to help this girl find support so she can have a healthy rest of the school year, not just sue on her behalf. Even *if* they win the suit and the prom goes on, most of the kids won’t enjoy it sue to the controversy and this young woman is still blacklisted at school.
So, ACLU, how are you helping in that regard?
romeo
Just saw on the news that a hotel there is putting on a prom free of charge. Presumably, Constance and her gf will be allowed to go to that one.
Hyhybt
@romeo: Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to presume that?
Latebrosus
I suppose we should find out who the administrators are and drag their names through the publicity mill, too. Why should they be allowed to hide?
Mike
I don’t blame these kids for being upset. Gays are in the minority and because one couple wants to go to the prom, how many straight kids are going to miss out.
If this couple wants to do something, go hang out with Johnny Weir, Adam Lambert and Kojo!!
strumpetwindsock
@Mike:
I don’t blame kids for reacting selfishly, but I do blame adults who should know better.
These two girls aren’t the ones who cancelled the prom; it was the adults on their school board who should have known better, and should be leading by example.
Bussy
Yawns loudly.
The only thing this is going to do is give the lesbians their fifteen minutes and we will
all move on. Parents are the problem here. They do not want their kids exposed tp this. Until
you get their support all this is a waste of news.
Good Job!
Actually, there’s two anti-Constance groups on Facebook. Queerty is gud at resurch n stuffs.
whoopi
@Bussy:
They’re high schoolers, not some 3-year olds. They should be able to draw conclusions from this incident independently. Those students will soon be out into adult society, so little chance will they evolve if without further education.
It’s always those loudmouthed minorities’ fault, right?