Harper Valley PTA meets Footloose - Homos in Tuxes Forbidden
I betcha you would be surprised to discover I wasn't the Prom Queen in high school. Yeah, I know. Shock, huh? It happens. Not all high school dreams come true. In my case I suspect it was because I didn't actually attend the prom. In the case of the prom queen hopefuls of Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Mississippi it is because the school district would rather cancel the prom than allow Constance McMillen, a lesbian student, to wear a tuxedo and to bring her girlfriend as her date. (Pause for a rousing chorus of WTF?)
USA Today reports that the homophobic geniuses running the local school board have stated:
"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."
Really? Rather than let one lesbian bring a date to a school function they are going to punish the entire student body? Gah. This is the stuff that just spikes my "Grow The Fuck Up" meter. And y'all thought the folks at the Harper Valley PTA were uptight.
As if the social politics of high school aren't already hellish for both gay and straight students, this move will only make senior year even more of a nightmare for 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 nor could she wear a tuxedo. The school then circulated a memo that prohibited same-sex dates. McMillen challenged this ruling and the ACLU, bless their liberal hearts, issued a sternly worded missive demanding that they change their policy, and gave them until Wednesday to make a decision. Well, they did. And it was a colossally stupid one to boot.
In another portion of the foolish and narrowminded statement the board states:
"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."
One can only hope that the town of Fulton has an industrious Ren McCormack, an abandoned mill, and a copy of the soundtrack to Footloose.
To read the whole story, and to be as horrified as I am, visit USA Today.
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Comments
The prom is an educational process? What does that even mean?
Baffling. And that gal is right, her life is going to be even more hellish than I imagine it already is because of this.
Maybe she can put on those red cowboy boots as a beacon for Ren.
*sigh*
"A Mississippi high school takes the occasion of a lesbian student wanting to attend prom with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo as a chance to teach everyone a lesson on tolerance. Nah, just kidding, they cancelled the whole damn thing."
I bring this up because nowadays no one even thinks twice about black men playing baseball. Or Latinos. Or Asians. Things change, and if we fight hard enough, they change for the better.
now you've gone and fucked up my whole day - thanks.
;)
In 5... 4... 3... 2...
What are they thinking?
This shit makes me blind with rage, that they are so afraid of gay that they'll prevent anyone from seeing that gay people are just like anybody else.
Or perhaps they'd like to go join the Osmonds in mourning the death of a gay son being raised in a Mormon culture.
Is it possible to cancel an entire state? If so, I will deploy The Entire Lesbian Army, all wearing tuxedos, to demand entrance to the state.
Seriously, WTF??? To prevent an entire school from "learning" there are such people as gays and lesbians in their nice little world, they'll punish the ENTIRE senior class by cancelling the prom?
I knew Mississippi was ****ed up, but honestly, you wonder if they'll ever grow out of it.
yeah, good thinking: let's take a student that is already on the fringe and make her even more 'detestable' (by their standards). maybe they are hoping she will be dragged behind a pickup truck so they won't have to face this issue again.
i hate when idiots prove that cliches are right ie Mississippi=inbred, redneck morons.
KEVIN! WE NEED YOU.....
Yes, it gets my G. the F. up meter going too...
Rated.
a bunch, you betcha!
The South has been putting on "private" proms for years (or holding two separate proms) in order not to mix the races. God forbid they should have to appear to condone homosexuality!
makes me friggin sad, too. Cause I'd like to retire to "the South".
"In the New North you can be anything you want so long as you’re not a dickhead about it."
Brilliantly stated ! Isn't that just the 21st century version of Jefferson's "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..."?
Whatever happened to "They will know we are Christians by our love" ?!?!?!?!?!?!
So... teen girl lesbians in Mississippi, if you're reading this, rock on. Fight the good fight. Come north. Or west. As soon as you can.
don't be too judgemental. every 'progressive' i've ever heard wanted just enough progress to make himself comfortable. they draw the line well before democracy and socialism, those weird ideas.
so it's just a matter of degree. that's why health care reform isn't getting anywhere. most doin' fine, thx, and are worried about what progress for the lowers will mean for the middles.
"heaven forfend that my medicare be diluted by taking care of the poor!"
don't worry about those young ladies and gentleman in mississippi, the pta built a whole new school system a few years back, supporting a prom will be easy.
R
My first question would be why would anyone (not just you,) live in a town as narrow and bigoted as your town?
But where does one go? They are everywhere.
We live in Florida and resent our gay tax dollars going to fund ignornance such as this. And yet we come up with the same question: where can we move where homosexuality is unequivacably accepted?
Cancel football too.
And every other damn thing that doesn't involve education.
The 'educational process' that will be interfered with will be the sex education kids get out in the parking lot afterward. A girl in a tux just may ruin that, dontcha know?
They deliberately isolated this girls. Callously willing to let her be the target of their ignoramus bigotry, to make an archaic point. And put her at risk.
There is no hell, but I wish I could wish one into existence sometimes.
Maybe Mississippi should look to Virginia once again for leadership. **shouts rebel yell and wanders off arm-in-arm with Tink** Ya think? (r)
Wait, what? Damn....
"Whether or not you approve of the behavior the homosexual couple DID ruin the prom for everyone else. Making a stand is fine until innocent people are harmed and in this case that's what happened.
This young lady should step aside and withdraw her lawsuit. It would show her classmates that she cares about them and it would further her cause more then anything else she could do at this point!"
This is what the majority of people think (those outside of OS), that we should just fake straight, try to pass. That being ourselves is somehow wrong and a desperate cry for attention.
Hell, I thought that for 30 years about my own bisexuality. That if both sexes appealed, why on earth should I put myself and my family through the stress of a homosexual relationship. I've come to the conclusion that it's just not that easy. It doesn't stay in it's box as much you try.
I don't understand why school systems seem to be going backwards in their social thinking. It's really awful.