U.S. High School Cancels Prom in Protest to Lesbian Student

[Scary Monster]

Lesbian teen back at Miss. school after prom flap


By SHELIA BYRD, Associated Press Writer Shelia Byrd, Associated Press Writer
JACKSON, Miss. – An 18-year-old Mississippi lesbian student says she got some unfriendly looks from classmates when she returned to school after officials canceled the senior prom because of her request to escort her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo.
Constance McMillen says she didn't want to go back, but her father told her she needed to face her classmates and school officials in Fulton. McMillen says one student told her, "Thanks for ruining my senior year."
The Itawamba County school district announced Wednesday it wouldn't host the April 2 prom at McMillen's high school.
The decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union told officials a policy banning same-sex prom dates violated students' rights.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A northern Mississippi school district will not be hosting a high school prom this spring after a lesbian student sought to attend with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo.
The Itawamba County school district's board decided Wednesday to drop the prom because of what it called recent distractions but without specifically mentioning the girl's request, which was backed by the American Civil Liberties Union.
The student, 18-year-old high school senior Constance McMillen, said the cancellation was retaliation for her efforts to bring her girlfriend, also a student, to the April 2 dance.
"A bunch of kids at school are really going to hate me for this, so in a way it's really retaliation," McMillen told The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson. Calls to McMillen by The Associated Press late Wednesday went unanswered.
School policy requires that senior prom dates be of the opposite sex. The ACLU of Mississippi had given the district until Wednesday to change that policy, arguing that banning same-sex prom dates violated McMillen's constitutional rights.
Instead, the school board met and issued a statement announcing it wouldn't host the event at Itawamba County Agricultural High School 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 Associated Press if McMillen's demand led to the cancellation, school board attorney Michele Floyd said she could only reference the statement.
"It is our hope that private citizens will organize an event for the juniors and seniors," district officials said in the statement. "However, at this time, we feel that it is in the best interest of the Itawamba County School District, after taking into consideration the education, safety and well being of our students."
Kristy Bennett, legal director for the ACLU of Mississippi, said the district was trying to avoid the issue.
"But that doesn't take away their legal obligations to treat all the students fairly," Bennett said. "On Constance's behalf, this is unfair to her. All she's trying to do is assert her rights."
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.
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."
Other students are on McMillen's side.
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.
The ACLU said McMillen approached school officials shortly before the memo went out because she knew same-sex dates had been banned in the past. The ACLU said district officials told McMillen she and her girlfriend wouldn't be allowed to arrive together, that she would not be allowed to wear a tuxedo, and that she and her girlfriend might be asked to leave if their presence made any other students "uncomfortable." McMillen said she feared she would be thrown out of the prom because "we do live in the Bible Belt."


This shit is pretty disgusting, the lengths that people will go to deny a person's fundamental rights- the school disctrict turning a whole school against a girl because of her sexuality. As if she isn't already going to have it hard once shes out in the world and ridiculed for her sexual leanings. But with something like this happening in the midwest, Im not all that surprised.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Yes, and it's LGBT folks who are shoving their lifestyles down the throats of straight people:rolleyes:. Disgusting, you said it comrade.

[Physicist]

What I find perhaps more deplorable than the bigotry itself is how the district purposely concluded this issue so that the girl would be hated by a lot of her peers.

[Audeamus]

What I find perhaps more deplorable than the bigotry itself is how the district purposely concluded this issue so that the girl would be hated by a lot of her peers.

Quite right, the actions of the school board were just spiteful. Messing with this girl's life for the sake of their bigoted "morality".

[bcbm]

But with something like this happening in the midwest, Im not all that surprised.

mississippi isn't the midwest.

[¿Que?]

"It is our hope that private citizens will organize an event for the juniors and seniors," district officials said in the statement. "However, at this time, we feel that it is in the best interest of the Itawamba County School District, after taking into consideration the education, safety and well being of our students."This comment bothered me a bit. As a public school, they have to abide by non-discrimination policies. However, if a "private citizen" decides to hold the prom, they may not necessarily be constrained by the same laws. In which case, a private citizen holding the de-facto prom outside of school grounds could deny McMillen entrance, while the rest of the school enjoyed their prom night. I'm going to keep an eye on this...

[mollymae]

That's disgusting.

It's really odd that they would have such a policy (that same-sex couples can't go to prom together), beucase I know at my school some people, mainly just girls, go with each other just as friends. I wonder if this school would try to stop that kind of situation as well.

[Scary Monster]

mississippi isn't the midwest.

Well its close :p I meant "Midwest" as in southern "heartland" (not the technical term of Midwest i guess), extremely conservative, religious state.

[cb9's_unity]

I read this earlier and was pretty disgusted by it.

Where I live this sort of thing is unheard of and it is actually common for people to bring a same sex date (whether they are just friends or actually dating). Of course my high school use to have a lesbian principle, which was helpful in fighting homophobia.

[MarxSchmarx]

Sigh. One wonders if they did this when schools became integrated and inter-racial dating was finally allowed. It must have happened, and those who were excluded like this in the 60s and 70s should be more vocal about making the comparison.

[turquino]

Sigh. One wonders if they did this when schools became integrated and inter-racial dating was finally allowed. It must have happened, and those who were excluded like this in the 60s and 70s should be more vocal about making the comparison.
Tallahatchie County had their first integrated prom LAST YEAR.

[Lord Marshall Draq]

inconcievable. so much for 'freedom'... to think after all this time and we've only come this far... the time for change is now!

[mollymae]

Where I live this sort of thing is unheard of and it is actually common for people to bring a same sex date (whether they are just friends or actually dating).

I know what you mean. I live in Washington State near Seattle, so this kind of thing never happens around here. So when I read an article like this it just blows my mind that this could happen in my country. :blink:

[cb9's_unity]

There is also now a video now on CNN.com. For whatever reason I was having a hard time finding the link so you guys will have to look a little if you want to find it.

The video contains a section that has people using the pretty typical gay bashing rhetoric. Parents saying "i don't want my kids to see that kind of behavior". It shows how illogically sensitive our society is when people complain about having to be in the same room with two girls that may dance together.

[worldrambler]

Land of the free and home of the brave!! MY ASS. Until all Americans are treated equally we need to stop making any claims about freedom or American superiority. This shit is unbelievable.

[worldrambler]

I know what you mean. I live in Washington State near Seattle, so this kind of thing never happens around here. So when I read an article like this it just blows my mind that this could happen in my country. :blink:
I am from Seattle as well. I live in Japan now, and it would be unthinkable in either Seattle or Japan for this to happen.

[Jimmie Higgins]

What I find perhaps more deplorable than the bigotry itself is how the district purposely concluded this issue so that the girl would be hated by a lot of her peers.If she's not already hated and bashed at school. This was a deliberate attempt by the school to punish someone for speaking up as well as to promote gay bashing: the lesbian stole your prom kids, it's not our fault now if someone does something to her.


s a public school, they have to abide by non-discrimination policies. However, if a "private citizen" decides to hold the prom, they may not necessarily be constrained by the same laws. In which case, a private citizen holding the de-facto prom outside of school grounds could deny McMillen entrance, while the rest of the school enjoyed their prom night. I'm going to keep an eye on this...Right, privatization has been used for de-facto segregation and this is really troubling that the school "suggests" the students and bigoted parents hold a private prom... a local gay-bashing church would be my guess for the location. However, in this case, since it has received a lot of attention in the media, I bet (if no one has done so already) a facebook page or something could be started to raise money for a LGBT prom for this student, here fellow non-bigot students... I bet if it got enough attention, they could get Lady Gaga to be the prom band! That would really boost the confidence of local LGBT people and show the bigots that while they may isolate and intimidate people in their town, in the big picture, the bigots are the ones who are isolated.

Any facebook savvy people want to give this a shot?

[Il Medico]

I know what you mean. I live in Washington State near Seattle, so this kind of thing never happens around here. So when I read an article like this it just blows my mind that this could happen in my country. :blink:
It's the South. If the article said, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, or any other southern State I wouldn't be surprised. This shit is pretty common down here sadly.

[gorillafuck]

What I find perhaps more deplorable than the bigotry itself is how the district purposely concluded this issue so that the girl would be hated by a lot of her peers.
That's what I was thinking. That's pretty fucked up.

[Red Commissar]

Good to see Mississippi is living up to their flag.

http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/flags/usa/msflag.gif

Oh bible belt, how "pure" you are.

I remember reading about a place in Mississippi- Charleston, that didn't have its first racially integrated prom... until 2008.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080707/prom

[ReVoLuTiOnArY-BrOtHeR]

What a shame! So disgusting to see these types of actions taken against people for not abiding by "societal norms".

[The Red Next Door]

While the world changes, Mississippi is gonna stay the same, Welcome to the Bigot republic of Mississippi. Where they have some good old fashion f*g and nigger hanging.
Their Anthem "Die chichi man Die".

[¿Que?]

http://www.kcra.com/news/22830974/detail.html

And the free market steps in to defend lgbt rights and to let these poor kids have a prom after all. Oh how wrong I've been!!!

No but seriously, interesting development. What do you guys think?

[Jimmie Higgins]

http://www.kcra.com/news/22830974/detail.html

And the free market steps in to defend lgbt rights and to let these poor kids have a prom after all. Oh how wrong I've been!!!

No but seriously, interesting development. What do you guys think?Well it's free, so it's charity, not really the market, but I know what you mean. I'm not surprised that someone offered this because it's really becoming a big story - but I am surprised it's a hotel.

[¿Que?]

Well it's free, so it's charity, not really the market, but I know what you mean. I'm not surprised that someone offered this because it's really becoming a big story - but I am surprised it's a hotel.
Well, I see your point. It's not really the free market, since there are really no market forces acting on this situation (I believe this approximates what you're getting at). But just look at this from the perspective of say your typical Ron Paul libertarian. A public institution (the school) wants to implement a discriminatory policy for the prom, and when backed against the wall, cancels the whole thing effectively punishing everyone. In comes our benevolent, progressive minded private business owner to save the day. Thereby proving that public institutions are backwards and reactionary, and private institutions liberal and progressive.

I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying. This is how the right will probably interpret this. Basically, it will provide fodder for the whole "privatize everything" crusade.

[Tablo]

That isn't too far from me. I think me and some of my gay and bi friends should drive up there to cause some chaos. :cool:

[Jimmie Higgins]

I'm not saying it's right, I'm just saying. This is how the right will probably interpret this. Basically, it will provide fodder for the whole "privatize everything" crusade.I think you're right, but then again, everything is fodder to them... the dinosaurs died-out because the Cretaceous economy was too mixed and there were too many subsidies for Pterodactyls; raptors went off the gold standard!

The main thing that people seem to be getting out of this story is that discrimination is real and still a regular occurrence. It will continue to put air in the sales for a new (and hopefully) emerging LGBT-liberation movement. Without the LGBT movement being reinvigorated, then yes, this story would be one more story to tally about an injustice somewhere - but it gains new currency after a year of new LGBT organizing and protests that forced Obama to make promises about LGBT rights.

Actually I wish this story was from a school not in the south - I think this sort of thing could probably happen anywhere outside of major urban centers. It certainty could have happened at my High School in Northern California if any of my LGBT classmates had been confident enough to even be out let alone out at the prom. Since this happened in Mississipi, I've seen a lot of newspaper comments from liberals saying: "what do you expect, she should move out of the South". Northerners and Westerners use "it's the south" as a crutch too much. There are more hate-crimes and neo-nazi groups in California than in the south... but since it doesn't fit the image we have of regional differences, this goes ignored.


That isn't too far from me. I think me and some of my gay and bi friends should drive up there to cause some chaos. :cool:You mean the school where this happened? That'd be fantastic if people organized some support/protests of the school - does anyone know if this is already happening?

[Tablo]

You mean the school where this happened? That'd be fantastic if people organized some support/protests of the school - does anyone know if this is already happening?
It is a three or four hour drive. Certainly worth helping out. I do not want to see a poor high school girl get treated so horribly simply due to sexual preference. Things like this upset me to no end. THis is the sad reality of the southern US. We are the most bigoted part of the entire country.

[Devrim]

Well, I see your point. It's not really the free market, since there are really no market forces acting on this situation (I believe this approximates what you're getting at).Well it's free, so it's charity, not really the market, but I know what you mean. I'm not surprised that someone offered this because it's really becoming a big story - but I am surprised it's a hotel.

Call me really cynical, but I would tend to think that it is exactly market driven. People pay advertising agencies huge amounts of money to get the publicity that this guy has got for just opening his mouth. If he actually goes to the very limited expense, comparatively speaking, of putting on the prom, he will get the sort of publicity that an operation that size would never be able to afford.

Devrim

[Outinleftfield]

I went to Prom. It was OK. I enjoyed myself and even left that night with a new girlfriend. But really it's just a dance. And it's really an elitist and hierarchical concept. The students could get together and put together a dance for themselves just like the Prom and just hold it at someone's house or at some place they rent and how would that be any different besides that it's not technically a "prom" and the school officials aren't involved? And why should the naming of a dance "prom" by school officials make it more important than any other?

Isn't it interesting how so many fights for equality center on hierarchical, pro-capitalist institutions. With gay rights we see a lot of focus on "marriage rights" and repealing DADT. I agree these things should be equal but as a bisexual myself I find it strange that other glbt people actually want in on these institutions. Marriage was invented to control women and all it really is now is a state benefits program that most people divorce from anyways and the military is currently proping up regimes in Iraq and Afghanistan that execute homosexuals and its the institution enforcing the power of the ruling class whose "needs" lead to the stigmatization of homosexuality and human sexuality in general. Here's a radical idea achieve equality by abolishing marriage and the military!

Equality is a good thing but capitalists sometimes find movements for equality to be useful distractions away from the real problem. I guess it's the same with any other reforms. Some "liberal" capitalists say "we should change X and then everything will be better. If we just change X, Y, and Z all your problems will be solved," to get people dedicating everything to small reforms and then feeling satisfied when they pass only to ignore the big picture and let the capitalists keep power.

[Tifosi]

It's a fucked up world is it not, the southern states still living up to their tag:thumbdown:

[Nwoye]

I think Leon Trotsky had something to say to the people who cancelled the prom: "You are pitiful isolated individuals; you are bankrupts; your role is played out. Go where you belong from now on: into the dustbin of history!”

[A Revolutionary Tool]

This comment bothered me a bit. As a public school, they have to abide by non-discrimination policies. However, if a "private citizen" decides to hold the prom, they may not necessarily be constrained by the same laws. In which case, a private citizen holding the de-facto prom outside of school grounds could deny McMillen entrance, while the rest of the school enjoyed their prom night. I'm going to keep an eye on this...
That's a dick move. So they shut down prom because of a lesbian couple that might go to it which will inevitably make everyone hate her. Then they say someone else privately hold it so that she can't go to that one. That is pig disgusting, I'm glad they wouldn't do that in California. Who know though Prop 8 did pass...

[Jimmie Higgins]

Call me really cynical, but I would tend to think that it is exactly market driven. People pay advertising agencies huge amounts of money to get the publicity that this guy has got for just opening his mouth. If he actually goes to the very limited expense, comparatively speaking, of putting on the prom, he will get the sort of publicity that an operation that size would never be able to afford.

Devrim

Well Ok, I can't speak to this boss' motivations and I'm sure that he could possibly see it as a PR move and just a decent charitable move. Some libertarians may use this to show how good private enterprise is while public systems are bad - probably more liberals will see that the ACLU is backing this student's defense and then wash their hands of the whole matter and tell themselves - look, the system works.

But, I think for most young people and people being radicalized by the LGBT actions that have been going on, they will look at this incident as more proof that urgent action needs to be taken the defend people's rights and stand up to the bigots. And to me, that's the importasnt thing and why radicals should try and figure out how to get involved in any grassroots actions agaisnt this school administration or in defense of this student.

[Jimmie Higgins]

I went to Prom. It was OK. I enjoyed myself and even left that night with a new girlfriend. But really it's just a dance. And it's really an elitist and hierarchical concept. The students could get together and put together a dance for themselves just like the Prom and just hold it at someone's house or at some place they rent and how would that be any different besides that it's not technically a "prom" and the school officials aren't involved? And why should the naming of a dance "prom" by school officials make it more important than any other?

Isn't it interesting how so many fights for equality center on hierarchical, pro-capitalist institutions. With gay rights we see a lot of focus on "marriage rights" and repealing DADT. I agree these things should be equal but as a bisexual myself I find it strange that other glbt people actually want in on these institutions. Marriage was invented to control women and all it really is now is a state benefits program that most people divorce from anyways and the military is currently proping up regimes in Iraq and Afghanistan that execute homosexuals and its the institution enforcing the power of the ruling class whose "needs" lead to the stigmatization of homosexuality and human sexuality in general. Here's a radical idea achieve equality by abolishing marriage and the military!

Equality is a good thing but capitalists sometimes find movements for equality to be useful distractions away from the real problem. I guess it's the same with any other reforms. Some "liberal" capitalists say "we should change X and then everything will be better. If we just change X, Y, and Z all your problems will be solved," to get people dedicating everything to small reforms and then feeling satisfied when they pass only to ignore the big picture and let the capitalists keep power.

I hear this a lot - and I think this is sort of a cynical way to look at the issue. First of all, there is no movement currently to abolish special privileges that come to marriage (better yet just to extend these rights to everyone full stop) and barely an anti-war movement let alone an anti-imperialist/anti-military movement. You could equally argue: why did gay people fight to not get fired - why do they want to make themselves wage-slaves? Why did LGBT people riot in stonewall - did they really want the right to drink in a mafia-run gay bar with no health code that made many of it's patrons ill and would also make deals with gay-bashing cops? Why did should we support women's sufferage or black voting re-enfrancisement just so they could vote for one of two racist, sexist, ruling class idiots in a rigged electoral system? Why should we fight for immigrant rights - these ar e bourgoise rights that don't protect workers anyhow and why would immigrants want to become part of the empire anyway?

Most liberation struggles began as civil rights struggles with modest demands: being able to sit anywhere on a bus and have black bus drivers; the right of college students to have a literature table on campus; the right for WWI veterans to recieve the pay they were promised and so on. Paris 1968 began when college students wanted the right to visit opposite gender dorms - it ended with massive factory occupations and much of France preparing for a revolution.

For marriage and DOMA specifically, well sure I don't want to encourage people to join the military - marraige I don't really care one way or the other personally - but the fact is that the military currently employes probably 10s of thousands of LGBT people and as long as they are intimidated into hiding their sexual preference they will also be intimidated about voiceing any potential opposition to what they are being told to so - they will remain silent if they see rape on base or racism. Then they will come back to the world and keep their mouths shut about conditions at work, conditions in their community and so on.

The ruling class keeps us divided and weak by opressing some and making people feel like they don't have the ability to speak in their own interests and that they shouldn't fight back because they won't win. In California for example, workers are so beat down that a sizable minority of them actually BLAME unionized higher-paid and more secure workers and feel like they too should have no job security. It's like: well if I don't deserve or get treated fairly during the recession, why should they. This is the pessimism of a generation-long period of workers losing in the class struggle: instead of seeing unions as a defense against layoffs and wage-cuts, and a possible way to raise all workers back up, they just wish that if they are down, everyone else should be equally down.

We need to fight for equality among all workers in order to even have the hope of building a united working class movement. And, as the French said in 1968: with the eating comes the hunger. So the more we win, the more people feel that they do deserve (and can win) more! When people won the right to ride anywhere on the bus, then they thought, well why can't I also swim anywhere, live anywhere, work anywhere... and this line of thinking led to radicalism and the black power movement.

[gorillafuck]

It's a fucked up world is it not, the southern states still living up to their tag:thumbdown:
Racism is more apparent in the south but don't think for a moment that it's exclusive to the south.

[Sendo]

Racism is more apparent in the south but don't think for a moment that it's exclusive to the south.

yes, let's not forget the race riots in the North during the Civil War for example.

Malcolm X was an astute observer of the polite, held-back, condescending bigotry of the North. I learned it, too. Going to a rich, bubble-like college and living in the black residential area across the river taught me a lot about repressed racism. words like "sketchy" and "shady" popped up a lot, in reference to what I asked. There were also spates of stories in the campus paper of "**** residents" doing crimes to the students. HA! I stumbled home drunk a dozen times in a black-ed out states sometimes and was never bothered by anyone even though I'm white and attending the only economically viable entity in the city, an ersatz Ivy league university, and nothing ever happened. Everyone just accepted this bullshit as fact. All these unprovoked, "random" incidents. My ass.

[Communist]

.
.Judge won't force Miss. district to hold prom (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iQRDDMNSipfZL1NVG-gK2OLZHJUwD9EKIKJ80)

By SHELIA BYRD (AP)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/media/ALeqM5j1HtwnLKb71QciRzP_dKQWvQncyA?size=s2
Constance McMillen

JACKSON, Miss. — A Mississippi school district violated a lesbian student's rights by banning her from bringing her girlfriend to the prom, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, but he stopped short of forcing the district to hold the event.

U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson denied an American Civil Liberties Union request for a preliminary injunction that would have forced the Itawamba County school district to sponsor the April 2 prom and allow Constance McMillen to escort her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo.

Davidson did say he will hold a trial on the issue later, but he did not set a date and any ruling would likely come too late to force the district to hold the prom when it was originally scheduled.

Davidson's order says the district violated McMillen's constitutional rights by denying her request to bring her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo, and ACLU Mississippi legal director Kristy Bennett called that a victory.

She said Davidson's order allows McMillen to amend her petition within 30 days, meaning she could sue for damages because she couldn't get the prom reinstated.

Davidson said he denied the injunction request because a private prom parents are planning will serve the same purpose as the school prom. He wrote in his ruling that "requiring defendants to step back into a sponsorship role at this late date would only confuse and confound the community on the issue."

School officials said in court they decided to call off the prom at Itawamba Agricultural High School because McMillen's challenge to the rules had caused disruptions.

Ben Griffith, the school district's attorney, said his clients were pleased with Davidson's ruling.

McMillen first approached school officials about bringing her girlfriend in December, and again in February. Same-sex prom dates had been banned in the past, but she had hoped school officials would grant her request.

"I thought maybe the policy had been in place for a different reason," McMillen testified at a hearing on the ACLU lawsuit. "I wanted to let them know how it made me feel. I felt like I couldn't go to the prom."

She was told two girls couldn't attend the prom together and she wouldn't be allowed to wear a tuxedo, court documents show. The ACLU issued a demand letter earlier this month and the district responded by canceling the event.

District officials said they felt not hosting the prom was the best decision "after taking into consideration the education, safety and well being of our students." Superintendent Teresa McNeece said it was "a no-win situation."

The 715-student high school is located in Fulton, a town of about 4,000 in rural, north Mississippi. The entire county school district has 3,588 students.

McMillen, who lives with her grandmother and has a 3.8 grade point average, has kept her 16-year-old girlfriend out of the spotlight at the request of the girl's parents.

Her case has become a cause celebre since the school district canceled the prom March 10.

She has appeared on the "The Early Show," "The Wanda Sykes Show" and "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to talk about how she is fighting for tolerance. DeGeneres presented her with a $30,000 college scholarship from Tonic, a digital media company. A Facebook page set up by the ACLU for McMillen has over 400,000 fans.

The teen has said repeatedly that gay students should have the same rights as the their straight counterparts, and while she has been praised on the national scene, her words mean little to some in Fulton.

McMillen said she encountered "hostility" from students who blamed her for the prom's cancellation.

Days after the district announced it would not host the prom, local townsfolk posted signs on the high school reading "What happened to the Bible Belt?" and "Why would we condone this?"


Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

.

[Mumbles]

It is a three or four hour drive. Certainly worth helping out. I do not want to see a poor high school girl get treated so horribly simply due to sexual preference. Things like this upset me to no end. THis is the sad reality of the southern US. We are the most bigoted part of the entire country.

If you do try and go, I'd love to try and come join ya'll, if it wouldn't be too much of a bother.

[Outinleftfield]

You could equally argue: why did gay people fight to not get fired - why do they want to make themselves wage-slaves?

Not a good analogy. The capitalist system as a whole keeps you as a wage slave. It's not like being discriminated against means you get to not work, it means you have less choices and wind up with a shittier job.

I should note I do support giving gays the right to marry and be in the military as long as straights still do. But...
1.Human time and energy is finite.
2.People tend to praise and idolize marriage and the military in pursuit of these rights saying things like for example "we just want to fight for our country" which perpetuates the myth that the military is being used for everyone's best interests instead of an elite few. I don't object to someone believing(as I do) and saying that they support repealing DADT but it would be refreshing to see the gay rights movement focus more on highlighting the fact that the puppet regimes still persecute homosexuals so GLBT people and allies should refuse "service" on principle. Just like how many in the civil rights movement highlighted the fact that innocent nonwhite civilians were being killed and many African-Americans and other minorities refused to serve for that reason. It's for this reason even more than support for equality I actually hope DADT gets repealed asap. Then gay rights activists won't be peer pressured into applauding the military because they think it's necessary to get DADT repealed and we'll probably see more people bringing up issues such as the homophobia as many of America's allies.

I'm not arguing against just any small reform advocacy. But the nature of the struggle to push for these specific reforms leads activists to whitewash oppressive, bourgeois institutions. It's hard to argue for gay marriage rights and then condemn the entire marriage establishment and it's hard to say "DADT should be repealed" and then say "the whole military is oppressive and props up homophobic regimes so GLBT people shouldn't join but I still support repealing DADT in principle". Understandably those activists who think this fear alienating people over this and compromising the moderate reforms. This leads to preference falsfication and even subconsciously an effort by some activists to make mainstream society look acceptable to gays.

[Alaric]

That's the capitalist school system for you, chock full of bigoted asshats. I hope all these people lose their jobs. What kind of protests are going on in Mississippi?

[gorillafuck]

That's the capitalist school system for you, chock full of bigoted asshats. I hope all these people lose their jobs. What kind of protests are going on in Mississippi?
I don't see how this is because of capitalism. It's because of bigotry.

[Stranger Than Paradise]

This is a horrible story. The lengths these people have gone to deny a individual the rights they hold. Just shows you the lack of compassion reactionary capitalists have for human life and dignity.

[Mendax]

Latest Happenings -


To avoid Constance McMillen bringing a female date to her prom, the teen was sent to a "fake prom" while the rest of her class partied at a secret location at an event organized by parents.


Not really sure what to say..

I cant post links so for the fulla rticle just google "Advocate Constance sent to fake prom" :)

[Kassad]

Recent updates, like TheCheeseDemon said, show that Constance arrived at her school for the prom to find that only five other students were there, with two school administrators chaperoning the event. The parents, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear the school as well, organized a separate dance where all the students were told to go. Constance was not informed of this separate event and elaborate lengths were taken to make sure she didn't hear about it.

To say the least, this is far from over. Constance, the American Civil Liberties Union and a lot of other progressives will likely take this back to court, since she was told she could go to prom with her peers and this is an obvious contradiction of the court ruling that she could attend prom.

Also, who the fuck said that 'this has nothing to do with capitalism'? The bourgeoisie uses social divides (racism, sexism, and in this case, homophobia) to fight unity in the working class. One of the biggest arguments against LGBT marriage is that it will cause an increase in taxes because of all the marriage benefits the working class will have to pay for to let another large group in society get married. This is how the ruling class maintains power. Social divides is a way to keep the working class disenfranchised and turn people against one another. Bigotry stems from capitalism.

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

Would there be justification for pursuing legal action against the students who attended the other prom? That's really disturbing that people would go. I know society has social pressures and people are raised to believe certain things, but that's not an excuse to ignore a group of obviously bigoted students.

[Mendax]

To throw another incident into this -
http://www.hrc.org/14232.htm (Anyone feel like turning that into a link please? :) )
Different county - Gay teen boy allowed same-sex date, Parents kick him out.

[Il Medico]

Lesbian Student's Prom Night Falls Short

JACKSON, Miss.— Senior prom fell far short of the rite of passage Constance McMillen (http://www.rr.com/home/topicdl/dlt/0dmI15bbqw2px/Constance_McMillen) was hoping for when she began a legal battle to challenge a ban on same-sex dates.
The 18-year-old lesbian student said Tuesday she was one of only seven students to show up at a private event chaperoned by school officials last Friday night. She said the rest of her peers went to another private event where she wasn't invited.
"It was not the prom I imagined," she said Tuesday. "It really hurts my feelings. These are still people who I've gone through school with, even teachers who loved me before this all started. I've never been a bad student and I don't feel like I deserve to be put through this."
Her case drew a national spotlight after she and the American Civil Liberties Union (http://www.rr.com/news/topicdl/dlt/0de43lg5hMdtK/American_Civil_Liberties_Union) challenged an Itawamba County School District rule that banned same-sex prom dates and a requirement that only male students wear tuxedos.
The ACLU (http://www.rr.com/news/topicdl/dlt/0de43lg5hMdtK/American_Civil_Liberties_Union) sent a demand letter to Superintendent Teresa McNeece in February, saying the rules against same-sex prom dates and girls wearing tuxedos violated McMillen (http://www.rr.com/home/topicdl/dlt/0dmI15bbqw2px/Constance_McMillen)'s constitutional rights. The district responded by withdrawing its sponsorship and canceling the April 2 event.
In an apparent compromise, school district officials said parents would organize a private event with school chaperones that McMillen could attend, tuxedo and all.
McMillen didn't take her girlfriend because the girl's parents wouldn't let her go to the event. McMillen escorted another female instead. She did, however, wear a black tuxedo with a blue green vest.
But when she, her date and a friend showed up at Fulton Country Club, only four other people were there. She left after half an hour.
McMillen said she knew there was another event in the works and she has seen several pictures from the party on Facebook (http://www.rr.com/news/topicdl/dlt/05JL6FV5UE0eh/Facebook).
"When I found out that there was another prom, I called and asked if I was invited and (a student) told me the prom was at the country club so I took that as a 'no,'" McMillen said.
It's unclear who organized the other dance, said Kristy Bennett, ACLU Mississippi (http://www.rr.com/home/topicdl/dlt/04LPae16o610W/Mississippi) legal director. School officials and many of the locals won't talk about it.
Bennett said "we're investigating if the prom at the country club was a sham or a decoy." But Bennett said she doesn't know if there are any legal ramifications because the majority of students chose to go to an event that didn't include McMillen.
"It's evidence that what (school officials) represented to the judge didn't happen," Bennett said.
Michele Floyd, the school board attorney, and McNeece didn't return messages left on Tuesday. People who answered the phone at several businesses in Fulton, a town of about 4,000, declined to comment about the issue.
Ellen Kahn, a spokeswoman for the Human Rights Campaign (http://www.rr.com/home/topicdl/dlt/0cSrcepdkadsq/Human_Rights_Campaign), the nation's largest gay rights group, said the organization began an online petition Tuesday to gather signatures to protest McMillen's treatment. Kahn said the names will be presented to the teen and the school district, along with a comprehensive guide on tolerance in schools.
"The part of this story that's hardest to handle is that adults were very much in control of making this decision and supporting this decision," said Kahn, referring to the dual proms.
McMillen's voice cracked as she talked about how her school life had changed, but she said if given a choice, she would have taken the same route.
"There are a lot of people that go through this every day and now they won't have to go through this," she said.What pricks.

http://www.rr.com/news/topic/article/rr/9001/10886706/Miss_lesbian_students_prom_night_falls_short

[Audeamus]

Damn, now they're just going out of their way to be assholes. It seems the school also sent the two students with learning disabilities in that class to that sham prom. This is the kind of shit that kept me from my senior prom.

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/04/05/ACLU_Investigating_Fake_Prom/



In an interesting parallel, the same stunt was pulled back in the 60's when the first black student attended a Birmingham high school.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XSAfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qacEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6862,5131613

[Salyut]

the prom was at the country club so I took that as a 'no,'"

I read somewhere it was actually being put on at the local discount furniture barn. :laugh:


It seems the school also sent the two students with learning disabilities in that class to that sham prom.

I'm interested if these kids showed up because they wanted to, or whether the "community" decided that the furniture barn was too classy a event for them. What the fuck.

[Wanted Man]

I'm interested if these kids showed up because they wanted to, or whether the "community" decided that the furniture barn was too classy a event for them. What the fuck.

Probably the latter. To expand upon the southern tradition of the segregated prom (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segregated_prom), these events are a good opportunity to dump any homosexuals, blacks and disabled kids. It's all pretty sickening.

Another fairly disgusting aspect is that it seems the entire community conspired to keep her out.

[Uppercut]

This really is sickening, and I know it's been said a hundred times already. But this is just too much, turning an entire school against a girl because of her sexual orientation. It's a disgrace, it's backwards, it's right-wing. That's all I can say.