With spring upon us, it means one thing for high school students: prom. And prom season means one thing for LGBT teens: Fussing over whether they can bring a homogay as their date. We’ve already learned how much some school administrators hate this, like the Alabama high school that tried — before backtracking — keeping Cynthia Stewart from bringing another girl. And now Itawamba Agricultural High School, in rural Fulton, Mississippi, joins the list of public schools refusing to let gay teens bring gay dates.
Constance McMillen and her lesbian prom date hopeful are both Itawamba students, and McMillen planned on showing up in a tux. But administrators have banned same-sex dates in the past, and in early February circulated a memo (PDF) reminding students about “acceptable” dates — only after McMillen met with the assistant principal and the superintendent about her proposed evening. She was told she would not be allowed to arrive with her girlfriend, that she could not wear a tux to the prom, and her girlfriend could be thrown out of the April 2 event if any students reported they felt “uncomfortable” around them.
Cue the ACLU’s involvement, which has a whole string of First Amendment-Meets-Prom lawsuits to fall back on: “Schools that discriminate against lesbian, gay, and bisexual students who want to bring same-sex dates to school dances need to know that by doing so they’re violating established federal law, and we will call them on it.”
McMillen, who is 18, says, “Prom is one of those high school moments everyone should get to experience and enjoy. I didn’t go to prom last year, so this is my only chance to go. We just want to be able to be ourselves at our own prom.” ‘Atta girl.
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Cam
This is a great article, especially after seeing the other article about the supposed “Straight/Accepting” guy telling gays to stay closeted. Good for Constance McMillen, I hope she and her date have a great time.
Don
We don’t care for her or her lifestyle in our little town of Fulton. I’m sure SF will be glad to take her.
Ashley
@Don: I’m sorry you feel her “lifestyle” is a threat to you Don. She has a legal right to take whom ever she wants to prom and enjoy her high school experience with her classmates. It’s not a lifestyle, you said it as if she has chosen to be a lesbian like one would choose to be a vegetarian. People are born gay, just as others are born straight.
Cam
No. 2 · Don said..
We don’t care for her or her lifestyle in our little town of Fulton. I’m sure SF will be glad to take her.
___________________
Hey Don, and you know who would agree with you and who you are so much in common with? The Taliban and the Wahaabist Clerics in Saudi Arabia. So I guess that your little town of Fulton has a huge amount in common with the enemies of America.
Jaroslaw
I certainly think that Gay teens should be allowed to bring dates to the prom but I can see where cross dressing might go too far. Is that covered under federal law?
Jon
These stories always remind me of my prom back in 1977 . .it was unthinkable that I show up with my boyfriend, so I took his sister and he took her best friend. . .It was double-stupid when the administration voiced their “concerns” because I was bringing a “black girl” to the prom. .. even worse for my BF and the blonde cheerleader.
We ended up having fun drinking punch & making out under the bleachers while our “dates” danced to Leo Sayer.
Adults Suck.
Mike in Asheville, nee "in Brooklyn"
@No. 2 Don
Thats right Donny, your little tiny dick will just shrink and shrink into a permanent wimpy noodle, you so scared by a couple of girls having their fun and sharing their love.
What is it with these pansy asswipes so afraid of two kids (and 2 adults too) sharing their love? Don’s masculinity is sooo fragile that 18 year-old girls frighten him; that’s not manliness, Don, that’s pussiness.
Joey
Isn’t it quite obvious Don’s a closeted cock-sucker? It makes sense, why else would he cringe at the thought of 2 young vaginas? Get the fuck over it, FAG! I cringe at the thought of you sucking trucker-dick at a gloryhole in your awfully repressed area of the country…but we still accept you as a member of society… NO H8 Bitches.
Jon
@ No.8-Joey
Well that was productive. . .perhaps you should go back to the freeper site & stop pretending.
Joey
@Jon: I think the disgust in anon. trucker-dick sucking struck a nerve..? It’s ok! You can put whatever youd like in your mouth…I don’t have to kiss it. Just watch out for them sores, sweets…I hear they can be a real debbie-downer!
Jon
@Joey: Dude ..put down the tequilla.
Alleyne
@Jaroslaw: Since when is a woman wearing pants “crossdressing?” This isn’t 1922.
Jon
Tequila. . . .perhaps Vodka would be more correct, because it’s obvious that I can’t spell beverages. . .Perhaps I’m wrong in that respect, but . . .WTF?
Joey
@Jon: Dear Jon, I LOVE YOU. Can’t we just get along? Not drunk yet, but if I were, it would be via tequila. Tequila kills me…so I avoid it like the plague, but I’ll buy you a shot of Tequila…or Vodka if you choose. I far prefer Gin though. Anyway, hope we can be friends. Much Love. Joey
btw…what the hell is a “freeper site”?
Joey
Woops…maybe I am drunk…I meant: “Not drunk yet, but if I were, it wouldn’t be via tequila.”.
littlebylittle
There is an organization in Mississippi called the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition (MSSC), which is devoted to combating the bullying and mistreatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth in Miss. schools. They are planning a prom for all Mississippi students, gay and straight.
To support the work of this important organization on the front line of the gay civil rights struggle, visit their website at http://mssafeschools.org/
James
You know, both sides have a good argument here. The real deal here is that the school district, which are representatives of a county in Mississippi have a right to make the decision they did. The long arm of the federal government, through an office in Mississippi should stay out of the way of a sovereign state. Let the ACLU sue and let the supreme court of Mississippi be the end all for such issues. Mississippi should stay out of San Fransisco’s business, as well. Tolerance is a misused word in this country. Minorities should be protected, not be made icons of movements to control a population and thought control. Who are the ones really being intolerant here? Shrink the federal government, please before it is too late. The socialists, who hide behind terms like tolerance are the true nazis.
James
Wow! I just got told my message was being flagged and I did not use a bad word. Hmmmmmm! You f*****g nazis!
ben doverr
James, honey, I don’t even see a comment (“message”) with your name on this thread, except No. 17 itself.
Try breathing slowly into a paper bag until this feeling subsides.
Daz
@Don:
LOL, you are so funny. A bit strange really. You’re single, aren’t you. Poor Don, never felt loved and now all hard and crispy inside. I forgive you Don, I forgive you, I really do…
Yewtree
I have written to the school pointing out the error of their ways, and blogged about it. http://tr.im/Rz8D
Douglas
#2 Don- Who came beating on your trailer door bright and early in the morning to tell you that you were the appointed town spokesman on what your town wants? Give me a fu(kin break! Do you even know her or you just pissed because you wanted to sniff her bicycle seat and now your fantasy has gone awry. You need to clip your toenails, trim your nosehairs, go buy some new underwear,stop picking your nose at red lights,stop trying to swirl that long strand of hair around your head to cover the bald spot…in fact, cut that mess off and go bald with dignity for god sakes…..and finally MIND YOU OWN DAMN BUSINESS! You have plenty to think about when you look in the mirror buddy. Stop worrying about what 2 young kids who love each other are doing in THEIR lives. BTW your dog hates you and your wife says your breath could knock a buzzard off a shit wagon. Now go look in that mirror and make a change. Michael Jackson was addressing you in that song.
strumpetwindsock
Apparently she and the ACLU filed a lawsuit yesterday:
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/03/12/us-lesbian-prom.html
Trancis
@ #2 … Poor Don was never loved and that’s why he’s here on Queerty… Get out of the closet already !
Andrew
Wow, don, that’s pretty harsh, since the girl is 18 I thought the 1st ammendment applied to her, or is it people like don that are “super hicks” and have to ruin another persons esteem just so they can feel better about themselves, I hope the American civil liberties group does sue, and when they do, they will win, iam sure they have more and better lawyers then that high school does, but even if this girl does win, people like don will never look at then the same, don is the kind of person who dosent beleive in freedom, or is super religious, (probally first one).