Prom Cancelled Because of Student's Sexuality

[PeterPanfan]

Miss. school prom off after lesbian's date request

By SHELIA BYRD, Associated Press Writer Shelia Byrd, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 7 mins ago

JACKSON, Miss. – 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 borders 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."

[blackcauldron85]

That's ridiculous. I mean, at least have the guts to state the real reason, school board. I mean, other people surely will make others "uncomfortable;" will the jocks really feel comfortable dancing next to the goths? Will people feel comfortable having to watch people constantly make-out? This just makes me sad about the state of the human race.

[Siren]

Not to mention that have just made these girls walking targets for bullying and ridicule. THEY will be blamed for the canceled prom, not the ignorant school board! Just sickening.

[David S.]

I just saw this story on Yahoo before coming here, and unfortunately, that's what a lot of the user comments were doing - blaming the girls. Very sad.

[Widdi]

Hopefully a public event will be held and the girls will go and show the school board just how ridiculous this is.

I went to the prom with another guy, and there were several girl/girl couples there as well. Our prom king and Queen actually came up to us and asked us dance (I got the queen) and we all (the student population) had a big laugh over it. There was one teacher who tried to prevent us from showing affection to each other (he is a Mormon Pastor as well as an English teacher), but the rest of the faculty told him to bug off.

Girls dance with girls at school dances all the time anyways. So one is in a tux rather than a dress... oh how will society ever manage to survive that blow.

[Siren]

I think they should get a DJ and sound system and they should stand in front of the town hall and dance.

[Cordy_Biddle]

Reminds me of that "Queer as Folk" episode where Justin took his partner to the prom...

[Goliath]

Mississippi...

[ajmrowland]

Of course, it's always the conservative South.

[Disney's Divinity]

I just saw this story on Yahoo before coming here, and unfortunately, that's what a lot of the user comments were doing - blaming the girls.

Of course. Because they don't have a right to their own prom.

[Lazario]

I just saw this story on Yahoo before coming here, and unfortunately, that's what a lot of the user comments were doing - blaming the girls.

Of course. Because they don't have a right to their own prom.

That's what all conservatives think - that no one has any rights until the conservatives hand them out and say, "now you're allowed." To do anything.

I mean, sure things are probably not as bad now as they have been in years and decades prior. But we still kind of remain blind as 'the human race' to exactly why these kinds of people get away with these crimes. It is a crime to try and deny someone equal rights. At least, a crime where it counts. They'll keep getting away with it because nobody with any real power is ever able to step over their heads. In a way, because we the people aren't allowed to stop them. We might be able to say we don't agree with them but they still get their way in the end.

And the sickening thing is in a way- the fact that it's still adults vs. kids, really. There needs to be some kind of law set up that grands young people more rights in things like this.

[Margos]

This makes me seriously feel sick to read about.

My mom told me about this, and she blamed Constance. She said "Why would she want to wear a tux, anyway!? It's not fair of her to ruin the prom for all of the other kids, they should have just stayed home."

This kind of intolerant BS cannot go on any longer. I don't know whether I'm angry, or sad, or a mixture of both. But no matter what, this is an affront to liberty as we know it. I am disgusted by this whole thing, and I hope that she wins this case. She ought to sue the school for all it's worth, and honestly, I don't believe she can possibly lose this case. If she did, this could go down in history as the Court's biggest F-up since Dred Scott, and I mean that!

[Kyle]

Im not pro gay myself, but even I think that is overkill.

[Siren]

I left this comment on the article....

At my prom, a young lady went to the prom stag. She never liked dresses, she rented a nice white tux. She looked beautiful. And she had a great time. She was also straight. She is currently married with 3 kids.

Why should a woman be forced to wear something they don't want to wear to their prom? The prom states "formal wear". Not "Dresses for girls, Tuxes for boys".

Are you all still in the 1950s? Back then, a woman wearing pants....My god, she MUST be a lesbian or just a deviant or a trouble maker or an attention grabber....right?

For every woman who says this girl shouldn't wear a tux.....Please, go into your closet and take every pair of pants and jeans and burn them now. DO IT, Don't by a hypocrite!
For every man out there who says girls shouldn't be wearing a tux...go into your girlfriend/wife's closet and take out all her jeans and pants and burn them now! Don't let your wife/girlfriend been labeled a lesbian!!

Now go out there and buy frilly dresses. I don't care that you have to go to the gym or garden or clean the house, get those high heels and pantyhose on NOW. Let's look like ladies! Ladies don't wear pants and tuxes. Good heavens no!

[/sarcasm]

[Elladorine]

Sad how the couple is getting blamed for bringing down the entire prom when it was the school that made the decision based on their own ignorance and discrimination.

[ajmrowland]

At least some of those kids probably read USA Today.

[Lazario]

Im not pro gay myself

What's "pro-gay"? A person can't be pro gay. You're either gay or you're not.

[Kyle]

As in I don't think being gay is right. but lets not open that can of worms. I was using that to make the point that even I, someone who is usually against this kind of thing, thinks the school is being unreasonable.

[blackcauldron85]

Sad how the couple is getting blamed for bringing down the entire prom when it was the school that made the decision based on their own ignorance and discrimination.

Exactly! I hope that some students show their support for the issue and not just sit back and pretend to agree with what the school says.

And Siren, It's an article of clothing, for pete's sake. My friend wore a tux to a school dance and her date wore a dress, and, well, I don't know if they got in trouble or anything, but they did it and that's great. I think that some are just using the clothing thing to make it seem like they're less prejudiced, like, "We don't care if they're lesbians, but we care that they won't be wearing dresses," or something, to make them look better?

[Siren]

Im not pro gay myself

What's "pro-gay"? A person can't be pro gay. You're either gay or you're not.

It probably means that you aren't gay, but you support gays. I don't think that is a hard concept. I would label myself as pro-gay. I support gay rights, but doesn't mean I am a lesbian either.