To Stop Gay Couples, Mississippi School Cancels Prom
Constance McMillen wanted to go to her high school prom with her girlfriend. She wanted to wear a tuxedo. The Itawamba County Agricultural High School faced a dilemma. Their policy said no same-sex couples, and no cross dressing.
The American Civil Liberties Union, however, said that policy was a violation of civil rights. The ACLU's point had already been decided in Fricke v. Lynch, 491 f. Supp. 381, way back in 1980. So the school district made a decision: rather than let one girl wear a tuxedo, they cancelled the prom for everyone.
The report didn't actually say it was because of that, but "due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events."
Apparently, in that county in Mississippi, learning about civil rights is a distraction to what they consider a proper education.
Read the story at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_lesbian_prom_date
Image used is at http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-13517.html/ and appears at http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-13517.html/ No threat to its copyright is intended.
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Comments
So everyone was punished because the school board didn't want one girl wearing a tuxedo? That poor girl, and the other students as well. Cancelling a prom for that. People need to find love so they don't hurt so many because otherwise they'd have to do what's right.
Posted by: TawTew the Naturally Perfumed | March 11, 2010 09:20 PM
In America, whatever the government does is right. But Mississippi needs to go further. Do they let that girl go to school? Obviously, her going there is a distraction to the educational process. They should cancel school.
Posted by: Council Carl | March 12, 2010 12:38 PM
The school shouldn't let same sex couples or girls wearing tuxedos to a dance. That would be encouraging it. But they shouldn't cancel the prom for everyone. It's a dilemma.
Posted by: Christian Andy | March 13, 2010 05:57 PM
The dilemma here is why would anyone want to go to a prom?
Posted by: Rev. Bootie | March 15, 2010 05:27 AM
Lots of people love proms, Bootie. For some it's one of their favorite memories of high school. I think a better question is why would anyone want to go to high school? Unless it was to get some bootie.
Posted by: Tremendous Gerry | March 15, 2010 06:27 PM
I think its a shame that they cancelled the prom. A lot of people were made to suffer for nothing. Oh well only in Mississippi.
Posted by: Vernon Avaritt | March 16, 2010 05:39 PM
I would have been so mad if they cancelled my prom. And because a girl wanted to go there with another girl and wear a tuxedo? What if a girl wanted to go with her brother would they shut it down for that too because they were afraid of incest? What if the couple was underage could they go? Everyone who made that decision should be fired and kept away from kids.
Posted by: Cheryl Teagues | March 16, 2010 05:43 PM
This is ludicrous to cancel a prom because one girl wants to wear a tuxedo? Only in Mississippi.
Posted by: Vernon Avaritt | March 19, 2010 06:25 PM
It could be really disturbing seeing a girl wearing a tuxedo. Those poor impressionable high schoolers could suffer life-long trauma. We should ban all proms.
Posted by: Alice Copper | March 21, 2010 01:16 PM
No one can go to the dance
if one girl can wear pants.
Posted by: MJ Lover | March 25, 2010 03:39 PM
That's sad. Because they don't want to follow the law and accept their own students, they cancel it for everyone. That's not right.
Posted by: Marie Gilbert | March 28, 2010 01:31 PM
The law doesn't require proms. They followed the law. They just made a difficult decision that can be a stand against a law that's not right. The law shouldn't force schools to accept immorality. But it is sad they had to cancel the prom.
Posted by: Christian Andy | March 30, 2010 02:04 AM
Who needs a prom, anyway? Those things are supervised. Now the teens can get drunk and get it on in the back of a car with nobody watching.
Posted by: Tom T. Trucker | March 31, 2010 05:59 PM