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Discussion Forums » In The News
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School Prom Cancelled due to Lesbian Couple
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11 Mar 2010, 23:29
Lauren.
Post Count: 885
JACKSON, Miss. - An 18-year-old Mississippi lesbian student whose school district canceled her senior prom rather than allow her to escort her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo said she got some unfriendly looks from classmates when she reluctantly returned to campus Thursday.

Constance McMillen said she didn't want to go back the day after the Itawamba County school board's decision, but her father told her she needed to face her classmates, teachers and school officials.

"My daddy told me that I needed to show them that I'm still proud of who I am," McMillen told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "The fact that this will help people later on, that's what's helping me to go on."

The district announced Wednesday it wouldn't host the April 2 prom. The decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union told officials a policy banning same-sex prom dates violated students' rights. The ACLU said the district not letting McMillen wear a tuxedo violated her free expression rights.

‘Thanks for ruining my senior year’
McMillen said she felt some hostility toward her on the Itawamba County Agricultural High School campus.

"Somebody said, 'Thanks for ruining my senior year.'" McMillen said.

The school board issued a statement announcing it wouldn't host the event in Fulton, "due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events."

The statement didn't mention McMillen or the ACLU. When asked by the AP if McMillen's demand led to the cancellation, school board attorney Michele Floyd said she could only reference the statement.

"I guess they would rather do that than what's right, what's constitutionally correct," McMillen said.

Same-sex prom dates and cross-dressing are new issues for many high schools around the country, said Daryl Presgraves, a spokesman for GLSEN: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, a Washington-based advocacy group.

"A lot of schools actually react rather than do the research and find out what the rights of these students are," said Presgraves, who was preparing to facilitate a discussion about anti-gay bullying at a National Association of Secondary School Principals meeting.

The school district had said it hoped a privately sponsored prom could be held. McMillen said if that happens, she's sure she'll be excluded.

"It's a small town in Mississippi, and it's run by an older generation with money. Most of them are more conservative and they don't agree with it," she said.

‘I am a little bummed out’
Fulton Mayor Paul Walker said he supports the school district's decision and knew of no private efforts to host the prom.

"I think the community as a whole is probably in support of the school district," Walker said of the town of about 4,000.

Itawamba County is a rural area of about 23,000 people in north Mississippi near the Alabama state line. It's near Pontotoc County, Miss., where more than a decade ago school officials were sued in federal court over their practice of student-led intercom prayer and Bible classes.

A couple of students had different reactions to the decision.

Anna Watson, a 17-year-old junior at the high school, was looking forward to the prom, especially since the town's only hotspot is the bowling alley, she said.

"I am a little bummed out about it. I guess it's a decision that had to be made. Either way someone was going to get disappointed — either Constance was or we were," Watson said. "I don't agree with homosexuality, but I can't change what another person thinks or does."

McKenzie Chaney, 16, said she wasn't planning to attend the prom, but "it's kind of ridiculous that they can't let her wear the tuxedo and it all be over with."

A Feb. 5 memo to students laid out the criteria for bringing a date to the prom, and one requirement was that the person must be of the opposite sex.

Presgraves said his organization hears about school districts that prohibit same-sex prom dates and gay-straight alliance clubs at schools. He said those kind of policies are detrimental to gay students.

"It sends a message that these students shouldn't be treated the same," Presgraves said.

SOURCE


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Are you KIDDING me?! I'd like to know how the school got away with doing this. Is it not some sort of illegal discrimination!? My heart hurts for that girl. That would be like canceling prom because a Caucasian girl planned on bringing an African American boy, would it not? Now not only is she humiliated, she gets to have her entire graduating class hate her because she ruined prom, when in all reality, SHE ruined nothing.. the discriminating SCHOOL system did. Thoughts?
0 likes [|reply]
11 Mar 2010, 23:54
Acid Fairy
Post Count: 1849
That's terrible! Especially cancelling it for all students. So so so fucked up.
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11 Mar 2010, 23:59
.herby.
Post Count: 48
Well to be honest, depending on the school system, they are allowed to set up their own rules. For instance: I wanted to wear my converse to my prom, and I couldn't. I'm not gay, but me and a bunch of girls were dancing, and we were told to stop. So I don't really feel sorry for her. Everyone has to make exceptions when they go to their prom. Now I do know that in my area they do hold a gay/lesbian prom, strictly dedicated to the lesbian and gay society. But it's all about the school and what rules they have.
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12 Mar 2010, 00:01
.herby.
Post Count: 48
especially in a small community. people don't respond well to people being gay or lesbian and really don't know how to react or respond to it. But the situation does seem like a catastrophe.
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12 Mar 2010, 00:03
.herby.
Post Count: 48
but canceling the prom completely is totally unacceptable. now she is going to get a lot of hell from her classmates.
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12 Mar 2010, 00:24
Lauren.
Post Count: 885
Exactly. It isn't like they hid the reason why it was canceled, and she is going to have to live the rest of senior year out being most likely hated. While I realize there are rules and rules in place for a reason, it's still completely unfair to her AND her entire class. I live in a small town.. a really small town. Things like that generally aren't talked about publicly and if they go to prom 'together', they register as singles. Canceling the entire PROM because of it is absolutely mind-blowing.
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12 Mar 2010, 00:26
.herby.
Post Count: 48
yeah I agree...I'd be pissed at someone if they "caused" the prom to be canceled, but then again I never went to my senior prom.
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12 Mar 2010, 03:20
immortalized artiste
Post Count: 112
Wait, wait nom. You realize there are rules in place for a reason? What reason, exactly, is this rule in place for? : P
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13 Mar 2010, 01:47
Lauren.
Post Count: 885
I'm not saying there is a reason for the rule to be in place, I'm just saying that the rules are made. Unfortunately, they're abundant in small, rural counties. My school doesn't tell lesbians they can't go to prom together, you can wear a tux if you're a girl, a dress if you're a boy, and converse if you want.. and I live in a TINY county. I'm just saying, while I do realize there are rules (that usually ARE there for a reason), this particular one is absurd.
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12 Mar 2010, 00:14
HorrorVixen XO
Post Count: 869
are you kidding me? stop dancing b.c you are girls!! well excuse me but not everyone has a damn date for prom!! thats so fckn stupid!!
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12 Mar 2010, 00:21
.herby.
Post Count: 48
We were dancing together...as girl with girl and we got into trouble. Not dancing because we are girls.
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12 Mar 2010, 03:17
immortalized artiste
Post Count: 112
Are you kidding me? Somehow I see less harm in a bunch of girls dancing together than them promoting girls to dance with guys. Especially the way people my age dance these days.

I think it's absolutely horrible, this whole story. I also think that it doesn't matter whether the town is large or small, they shouldn't be allowed to make rules like "your date must be of the opposite sex".

Also, the converse shoes thing is ridiculous. Why the hell not? Freedom of expression much? I know people who went to my prom in converse
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12 Mar 2010, 06:20
HorrorVixen XO
Post Count: 869
well thats what i meant. sorry had to post with the quickness(swings hands!)
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12 Mar 2010, 04:54
Chris
Post Count: 1938
I'm pretty sure it's discrimination.
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12 Mar 2010, 06:44
take me there
Post Count: 40
Thats awful that they do that in your area. Thats the same as saying African Americans and Whites can't share the same water fountain. Its the same thing only with gender identity having separate proms.
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12 Mar 2010, 07:12
~RedFraggle~
Post Count: 2651
Normally I'd agree that rules are rules. But this is a rule which quite clearly discriminates against someone because of their sexuality. If someone was discriminated against in the workplace for being gay they could take their employer to court. I see no reason why schools should be able to get away with it (and am so glad schools are generally more open minded over here!).
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12 Mar 2010, 16:38
Estella
Post Count: 1779
You got told to stop because you were dancing with a bunch of girls? But, gosh, girls do that all the time. Being told to stop is totally going to encourage paranoia and homophobia!
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12 Mar 2010, 01:34
Makayla
Post Count: 751
I read about this in my local newspaper. This is the next school over from my old high school. This doesn't surprise me at all. Actually we had a lesbian who wasn't allowed to bring her girlfriend to prom at my high school senior year.
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12 Mar 2010, 02:55
Lovin'MyLittles
Post Count: 322
This makes my heart ache. Sigh.
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12 Mar 2010, 17:01
*~Loving You~*
Post Count: 507
Its horriable I heard about it yesterday - I'm class of 04 my senior prom we had a lesbian couple come to the prom it was very cute one wore this fancy dress and the other wore a tux -sitting on top of each other

They were BOTH famous locally they were vasristy basket ball players,
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13 Mar 2010, 10:05
Makayla
Post Count: 751
what do you mean sitting on top of each other?
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13 Mar 2010, 11:47
*~Loving You~*
Post Count: 507
Well u know she was sitting on a chair and then she was sitting on her lap - the girl with the tux was sitting on the chair it wasn't a big deal
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12 Mar 2010, 00:03
kid at heart.
Post Count: 108
It makes my heart hurt, too. What harm is she going to do by bringing her girlfriend? Do they think that they're going to go off into a corner and have sex, or something equally stupid? Besides, have you seen the way some girl friends dance together? I'm sure some of the heterosexual couples, and even just groups of girl friends, will be acting a lot more provocatively than the girl and her girlfriend.

When the hell are we going to open our eyes and just let other people live their lives, so long as they aren't harming others? I think we have more important things to worry about other than who is bringing who to the local prom.
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12 Mar 2010, 00:25
jessi bear(:
Post Count: 300
i'm from a very small, very religious community and when a junior girl wore a tuxedo to prom my senior year, nobody cared! there were some parents and teachers that had their feathers ruffled but most of the other students thought it was pretty cool and nobody thought it was enough of a problem to cancel the prom and ruin it for the entire school.
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12 Mar 2010, 02:01
Miss
Post Count: 239
what year are we living in again?
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