A Mississippi county school board announced Wednesday it would cancel its upcoming prom after a gay student petitioned to bring a same-sex date to the event. "Due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events, the Itawamba County School District has decided to not host a prom at Itawamba Agricultural High School this year," school board members said in a statement.
UPDATE: ACLU files suit against school Constance McMillen, an 18-year-old senior at Itawamba, recently challenged a school policy prohibiting her from bringing her girlfriend as her date to the April 2 prom. McMillen, who is a lesbian, and the Mississippi chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union urged school officials to reverse the policy both on McMillen's choice of date and attire. She also wanted to wear a tuxedo to the dance.
ACLU attorney Christine Sun said her organization receives requests for help every year from students facing anti-gay prom policies. The complaints are especially prevalent in the South where attitudes toward sexuality are more conservative, she said.
In the announcement, the school board encouraged the community to organize a private prom. "It is our hope that private citizens will organize an event for the juniors and seniors. "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this causes anyone," the statement concluded. School officials did not respond to calls seeking comment.
The announcement alarmed McMillen.
"Oh, my God. That's really messed up because the message they are sending is that if they have to let gay people go to prom that they are not going to have one," she said. "A bunch of kids at school are really going to hate me for this."
School officials told McMillen last month that she could not bring her sophomore girlfriend to the prom and also told her she could not wear a tuxedo. The school then circulated a memo that prohibited same-sex dates.
GIRL WEARS TUXEDO: Girl in tuxedo denied a place in school yearbook 'FOOTLOOSE' REVISITED: Ohio teen suspended for going to a prom ACLU of Mississippi issued a letter demanding the district change its policy. The letter gave it until Wednesday to decide on a course of action.
The ban on same-sex dates is a violation of McMillen's constitutional rights, said Sun, the ACLU's senior attorney on gay rights. "We believe the law is pretty clear," Sun said. "The school just can't arbitrarily say you have to bring an opposite date to the prom."
A private prom would allow the district to get around the issue, McMillen said. "If they set it up privately they probably aren't going to allow gay people to go and there is nothing that you can do about it," she said.
Other school systems have managed gay prom issues in varying ways:
• In Alabama, the Russellville school system changed its policy prohibiting a lesbian student from attending prom with her girlfriend after the ACLU got involved, Sun said.
• Salt Lake City-based Utah Pride Center hosts an annual "gay prom," but executive director Valerie Larabee said districts have not enforced same-sex date prohibitions for years.
• In Florida, Prideline Youth Services has hosted a gay prom for South Florida high school students for 15 years. Executive Director Luigi Ferrer said all schools in the Miami-Dade County district allow same-sex couples to attend prom.
• In California, schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District allow same-sex dates.
Students such as McMillen are "enormously courageous" for making their stands, said Virginia Uribe, founder of Project 10, a gay student advocacy group in Los Angeles.
Quote: • In Florida, Prideline Youth Services has hosted a gay prom for South Florida high school students for 15 years. Executive Director Luigi Ferrer said all schools in the Miami-Dade County district allow same-sex couples to attend prom.
And I bet things are pretty non-descript, non-controversial. A good time had by all and life goes on. Who cares if a girl brings her GF to the prom? Does it really matter anymore?
My prom was in 2001 and there was 1 male-male couple and 1 female-female couple in attendance. Everyone knew they were gay anyway so nobody really even noticed or cared, it was just normal.
I find it hard to imagine that 9 years after the fact there are schools who have rules that say you must be a heterosexual couple to attend and even harder to imagine they shut down the entire prom over it. But then again, it is Mississippi...
"All I know is, as long as I led the Southeastern Conference in scoring, my grades would be fine." - Charles Barkley
It's funny,, when I went to a prom (1970) the thought of a gay/lesbian couple going to prom didn't even enter my mind. It just never came up. Different times I guess..
I wouldn't have had a problem with it then.. and I don't have an issue with it today..
Honestly, I think it's "much ado about nothing"
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
This is extremely petty on the part of the school board. By canceling it, all they've accomplished is creating a resentment in the minds of all of the other students, and they've deprived the rest of the kids a traditional part of the completion of the school process.
Browns is the Browns
... there goes Joe Thomas, the best there ever was in this game.
Quote: A Mississippi county school board announced Wednesday it would cancel its upcoming prom after a gay student petitioned to bring a same-sex date to the event.
Yet we consider ourselves to be a first world country while we maintain that China is not a first world country due to human rights violations. - Granted, China's human rights violations are deeper than ours, but we know better than this.
There are people in the world who are attracted to people of the same persuasion. - It's not a trend, it's not a fad, it's not to disrespect God, it's reality, pure and simple.
Many would say that the people in power at this Mississippi High School have an anti gay/lesbian agenda. I'll take it further and claim that they have an anti-reality agenda, and are self-righteous and arrogant enough to think that they have the ability and the right to control the universe, when all they are doing is fighting something that is so much smarter, and more powerful than they are.
I hope some of the parents down there band up and throw a prom for all of the students.
I think it was a ploy on the part of the school to shoot back at the petition. Gain favor of the students to exclude the same sex couple so that they can continue with their prom.
Time will tell if it works or not.
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
I'm going to assume that you have never been to Mississippi . ? If you had then you would have realized that the reality of some of the people there can be alot different than yours and mine. Hell there are some places where there are still nonintergrated proms for Blacks and Whites . There many good things in the state but they can be a bit ....umm..backwards at times.
Quote: Many would say that the people in power at this Mississippi High School have an anti gay/lesbian agenda. I'll take it further and claim that they have an anti-reality agenda, and are self-righteous and arrogant enough to think that they have the ability and the right to control the universe, when all they are doing is fighting something that is so much smarter, and more powerful than they are.
Exactly. I disagree with the sentiment that this is "much ado about nothing." Cancelling a prom because the school board is too conservative in their mindset to allow two people of the same gender to attend is not just petty, but immoral in my opinion. This seems like it should be from the 1950's, not 2010.
This is a problem I have argued over for years and years now ... Let Mississippi be Mississippi , and let California be itself ..It's called States Rights .. Dag na bit , one size doesn't fit all in all in a Country as big and diversified as ours !
Quote: Exactly. I disagree with the sentiment that this is "much ado about nothing." Cancelling a prom because the school board is too conservative in their mindset to allow two people of the same gender to attend is not just petty, but immoral in my opinion. This seems like it should be from the 1950's, not 2010.
I'm the one that said it's 'Much ado about nothing" and it's clear that you didn't catch what I meant.. My fault,,looking back at it, I really wasn't clear at all.. imagine that..
What I meant is that the school boards action for the reasons stated are out of line and unreasonable.. they are making entirely too much of the gay/lesbian thing.. (get it, much ado about nothing) Does that help you understand my point..
Basically, I think we agree...
#GMSTRONG
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.” Daniel Patrick Moynahan
"Alternative facts hurt us all. Think before you blindly believe." Damanshot
I would like to know why the school canceled the entire prom just because two girls wanted to go together? Why not just say NO and let the other kids have their prom? Bet everyone really hates the girls now. This school is promoting discrimination on a few fronts.
Quote: I would like to know why the school canceled the entire prom just because two girls wanted to go together? Why not just say NO and let the other kids have their prom? Bet everyone really hates the girls now. This school is promoting discrimination on a few fronts.
I agree. It's dumb.....not to mention 2 girls go to stuff all the time. Ok...these two are gay....so what.
I don't know how it is today, but it wasn't uncommon to see two girls go out and dance....nobody thought they were gay.
I think everybody is aware there are gay people in this world. No matter if you like it or not, it isn't a reason to shun them. Pretending it isn't a human condition is simply ignoring the facts.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Wow, it sounds like someone needs to be fired for this kind of handling of the situation. Ufortunately it probably won't happen anytime soon, because as other poster referenced things are sometimes backwards in the state of Mississippi.
Quote: I would like to know why the school canceled the entire prom just because two girls wanted to go together? Why not just say NO and let the other kids have their prom? Bet everyone really hates the girls now. This school is promoting discrimination on a few fronts.
That's what they did... then the girls sued, and the judge ruled that the school had to let the girls attend - at which point the school responded by canceling the entire prom
Quote: I'm going to assume that you have never been to Mississippi . ? If you had then you would have realized that the reality of some of the people there can be alot different than yours and mine. Hell there are some places where there are still nonintergrated proms for Blacks and Whites . There many good things in the state but they can be a bit ....umm..backwards at times.
Backwards according to..........you?
And let me preface what I'm about to say by saying this: the only way this would bug me - or would've bugged me (having a gay couple at a prom) would've been if one of the girls had been my girlfriend.
But Miss. "backwards"? Different perhaps.
Ever gotten off at the wrong sub stop in DC? At night? Ever had a group across the street tell you to get your ass out of there - while several held baseball bats?
West Virginia is "known" as a "backwards" state - a bunch of hill jacks. In breeders and all.
Ever been to New York city? They'd just as soon kill an outsider as look at them.
Ever been to southern Cal? They're all liberal.
Ever been to Florida? All blue hairs.
Ever been to TN? They all make moonshine.
Oh - wait a minute - while there may be a bit of truth in each of those "examples" - the overwhelming majority of the people in this country aren't very different than you or I. You can get in trouble anywhere, you can find great people anywhere.
Different lifestyles? Sure. Doesn't make people good or bad honestly.
Cancelling a prom because a gay couple wanted to go? Sounds to me like one side trying to "one up" the other side.
Quote: Point taken Arch but I still maintain that Miss. folk are just a little off on some things. Nothing "wrong" with that IMO .
Off, or different from what you and I consider normal? And, truth be told, what you consider normal might/probably is different than what I consider normal. No harm no foul.
And, I think it's wrong that a school totally cancelled prom over a gay couple (lesbian) wanting to go.
Just as an example of how people from different areas interact - and this has nothing to do with the topic at hand, ok? Last year, after having sat around a campfire with friends (old, retired friends) from Canada, friends from southern Ohio, friends from N. Carolina, friends from Indiana, - well, the next morning, drinking coffee, my friend (60 yrs. old) from Canada said "geez, I was pissed last night"
He's a good, easy going guy, and I immediately said "who were you pissed at, and why?"
Then he explained "no, for us, pissed means drunk".
Maybe the school board is taking the lesbian's advice and standing up for what they believe in? Maybe they consider homosexuality deviant behavior and dont want to promote or display it? I wish more of america would take this stand.
Quote: Maybe the school board is taking the lesbian's advice and standing up for what they believe in? Maybe they consider homosexuality deviant behavior and dont want to promote or display it? I wish more of america would take this stand.
Because you are right and everyone that believes differently are wrong?
I live in a small farm township about a hour southeast of Cleveland. We are a small country community but a lot fo people who live here are students at Kent State or work there. So we are not exactly deep south farm town here.
With that said, we have a close family friend who is 16. She has had lesbian realtionships,though she has a boyfriend now,so I guess she is Bisexual. Hell I dont know,but that is besides the point I am babbling my way into. She wanted to go to homecoming at the high school with her ,at the time, girlfriend and she was told that the school would not allow same sex couples to attend prom together. When she complained about it they told her, we have the right to tell anyone they are not allowed to attend a extra curricular activity,that is the schools choiuce.
KING
You may be in the drivers seat but God is holding the map. #GMSTRONG
Quote: This is a problem I have argued over for years and years now ... Let Mississippi be Mississippi , and let California be itself ..It's called States Rights .. Dag na bit , one size doesn't fit all in all in a Country as big and diversified as ours !
About 150 years ago there was a collection of individual states that thought slavery was okay, too. I'm all for certain things being strictly up to states but when they are as backwards (sorry to all who disagree, but this is pure backwards and all kinds of insecure/petty on the part of the school board who I'd probably hate to have a conversation with) as this... no. The rights of GLBT's in most southern states would be different/restricted I'd argue. It's not right.
Politicians are puppets, y'all. Let's get Geppetto!
I am so saddened by how this poor young woman is being treated that I may contact the school to speak my mind. I will also sign the Facebook page a few asshats made to make her life even more of a living hell.
McMillen: I Was Sent to Fake Prom By Neal Broverman CONSTANCE MCMILLEN X390 (AP/MATTHEW SHARPE) | ADVOCATE.COM
To prevent Constance McMillen from 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.
McMillen tells The Advocate that a parent-organized prom happened behind her back — she and her date were sent to a Friday night event at a country club in Fulton, Miss., that attracted only five other students. Her school principal and teachers served as chaperones, but clearly there wasn't much to keep an eye on.
"They had two proms and I was only invited to one of them," McMillen says. "The one that I went to had seven people there, and everyone went to the other one I wasn’t invited to."
Last week McMillen asked one of the students organizing the prom for details about the event, and was directed to the country club. "It hurts my feelings," McMillen says.
Two students with learning difficulties were among the seven people at the country club event, McMillen recalls. "They had the time of their lives," McMillen says. "That's the one good thing that come out of this, [these kids] didn't have to worry about people making fun of them [at their prom]."
In March, after the Itawamba County School District refused to allow McMillen to bring a female date to the prom, the district canceled the event altogether. McMillen and her lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union challenged that decision in court, and a judge ruled the district could not bar McMillen and her date.
The judge declined to force the school district to hold the prom because a parent-sponsored, private prom was being organized — and the understanding was that McMillen and her date were invited to that event. But Hampton says McMillen was never invited and organizers made it very difficult for her to find information on the time and location. That prom was later mysteriously canceled, with the Friday night event at the country club officially replacing it.
To add salt to the wound, they figured "Hey while we're getting rid of the gays, might as well get rid of the mentally challenged(I'm sure they used a different word)"
This is really sad and shows you the ignornace of some of these people. I hope all the people that got sent to the "special" prom get together and sue the hell out of that school.
WTF is wrong with these officials? People are people, regardless of sexual orinetation, sex, race, or mental capacity. Sad to see this stuff goes on.
To add salt to the wound, they figured "Hey while we're getting rid of the gays, might as well get rid of the mentally challenged(I'm sure they used a different word)"
This is really sad and shows you the ignornace of some of these people. I hope all the people that got sent to the "special" prom get together and sue the hell out of that school.
WTF is wrong with these officials? People are people, regardless of sexual orinetation, sex, race, or mental capacity. Sad to see this stuff goes on.
I don't think it was the officials - the parents did this independently
To add salt to the wound, they figured "Hey while we're getting rid of the gays, might as well get rid of the mentally challenged(I'm sure they used a different word)"
This is really sad and shows you the ignornace of some of these people. I hope all the people that got sent to the "special" prom get together and sue the hell out of that school.
WTF is wrong with these officials? People are people, regardless of sexual orinetation, sex, race, or mental capacity. Sad to see this stuff goes on.
I don't think it was the officials - the parents did this independently
~Lyuokdea
I agree.
Not for the good, not for the bad - but she went to the "school" prom, evidenced by the principal and teachers being there.
Obviously there was a private party/prom where - although it doesn't say for sure - I would guess most of the kids went.
She pushed her agenda - she got her way. School members were present - at a private country club no less. She got what she wanted, until she found out it wasn't what she wanted. My guess is this is a news story because she didn't get the attention she wanted. She wanted the whole prom to be in one place, where she could attend with her date. Can't blame her there.
When the "prom" thing came up, the school officials showed up - just not most of the other kids. Can't blame them either. They did their own thing.
You cannot ban gays from attending proms (and all other things), but you can decide to not attend yourself, and have a party elsewhere.
Does it make it nice/good? No.
But, does it make it wrong? No.
I think this girl is more upset that she didn't get to force her way on others more than anything. (and please, for the love of God, take that the way I meant it)
I'm not following Arch. I see it as the parents/school/ADULTS having two proms on the same night. One for her and one for the "straight" kids. She wasn't told about the regular prom.
So basically, all the kids knew about the real deal except her and six or seven others. That's pretty much "banned" wouldn't you say? And you think that's okay?
Quote: My guess is this is a news story because she didn't get the attention she wanted.
I think this girl is more upset that she didn't get to force her way on others more than anything.
Need more info.
I don't think this kid wanted ANY attention to begin with. All she wanted was to be treated like everyone else and go to the stupid prom with her significant other. And, now that she's been segregated once again, THAT'S the news story.
It's not illegal - if that's what you mean (and I agree it shouldn't be illegal) --- but it's certainly wrong
~Lyuokdea
Why is it "wrong" for a group of kids to have their own prom?
Keep in mind, I'm still under the assumption that the school sanctioned prom took place.
A private party is not wrong, is it? The kids - again I'm assuming - were able to choose where they went. So kids aren't allowed to do that?
I realize I may be stepping on toes here. Don't mean to - but. Yeah, the infamous "but".....the prom went on, with school officials in attendance. So some kids decided to not attend the "official" prom. That's a crime?
I know, when I was in high school, I didn't attend the after prom stuff - yes, I went to the dinner - good food!!! But, let's just say, I and a bunch of others decided we didn't want to do the whole night. Did that make me wrong?
Quote: I'm not following Arch. I see it as the parents/school/ADULTS having two proms on the same night. One for her and one for the "straight" kids. She wasn't told about the regular prom.
So basically, all the kids knew about the real deal except her and six or seven others. That's pretty much "banned" wouldn't you say? And you think that's okay?
As you said, we need more info - but the way I take it is, the "regular" prom went on as planned. The principal AND teachers were there.
A private party went on as well. Just because an invitation wasn't sent doesn't make it wrong. The choice was there - as to which party/prom to attend - the "official" one, or the other one.
I see what you're saying, but the private party prom was still wrong on many levels.
The court order was that the school could not exclude Constance and her date from the prom. Granted, they didn't "officially" do that since they held a "pretend" one where apparently only the outcasts were told to show up.
The parents of the kids in that school just totally suck. They are teaching some great lessons here. I hope one day their kids are told to go to the wrong party because of something just as stupid. (Blond hair, black hair, one arm shorter than the other, race, religion, etc.) I'll bet the school officials were in on this. They were the ones that overreacted in the first place. If they weren't, heads should be rolling right now. They better be organizing a parental meeting to explain that they will not tolerate discrimination.
How hard must it have been for the entire student body to keep their mouths shut around this poor girl about their "secret" prom?
If someone did this to my kid, no matter the reason, I would be outraged. Wouldn't you?
Quote: The fact that these kids/parents feel the need to send a lesbian and her date to a totally different prom screams the problem.
It makes them look like backwards, intolerant rubes.
And they might be backwards, intolerant rubes. Look, I'm not sticking up for them. It appears to me the school prom went on as planned - principal and teachers were there after all.
So a private party was planned for the same night. Yes, we all know the reason for it - or at least what the press wants us to think the reason was - either way, the girl got what she wanted - a prom.
If her goal was to take a date to the prom, she got what she wanted. If her goal was something else, well, she failed.
Fair. I get what you're saying. It's just the last thing on my mind amidst the cruelty and ignorance people showed by this. I don't get surprised by much anymore- especially with how humans tend to treat each other- but to hear how they went to such great lengths to do something so callous and alienating over something a person can't control wasn't something I saw coming and floored me for a bit here.
Humanity can be quite trashy sometimes.
Politicians are puppets, y'all. Let's get Geppetto!
i have these types of stories because no info is really given. of course, if all else is equal, this is a terrible situation. the problem is i highly doubt that is the case. there are so many other factors that could play into this that the only thing this article provides is informing me that this event occured. to read anything more to this is for people who are quick to judge one side. it's the exact same as the teacher article i posted a while back, where everyone instantly sided with the teachers until more details came out.
if there really was a civil rights issue, there'll be more stories that add more clarity. if not, you know this was a non-story.
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Because you are right and everyone that believes differently are wrong?
I'm all for certain things being strictly up to states but when they are as backwards (sorry to all who disagree, but this is pure backwards and all kinds of insecure/petty on the part of the school board who I'd probably hate to have a conversation with) as this... no. The rights of GLBT's in most southern states would be different/restricted I'd argue. It's not right.
