All that Constance McMillen wanted was the chance to take the person she is dating to her high school prom — which doesn’t seem like a big deal. Except that Constance, 18, is an out lesbian and the person she is dating is a sophomore
- Constance McMillen
girl, and officials at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Mississippi just couldn’t let that happen.
(Constance also wanted to wear a tuxedo. That’s a big no-no at IAHS, too.)
So Constance went to the ACLU and asked for help. The ACLU sent the school a letter demanding the school district change its policy. And school district officials have now responded by canceling prom outright.
School board members issued this statement: “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.”
Maybe, the school board members, the people of the community could put together a prom for the kids. (Although Constance probably wouldn’t be able to take her girlfriend or wear a tux to that one, either.)
Constance is aghast. “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 told USA Today. “A bunch of kids at school are really going to hate me for this.”
Read more about it here.
I hope her school will at least take steps to protect her from any kind of backlash.
If the school doesn’t protect her, or especially if it facilitates harassment against her, which I’d say is probable, then the ACLU should (and I think will) sue the school anyway and they will have cancelled the prom for nothing. I really just want them to mess this up so bad, since they think they are being cute by circumventing the constitution.
The school district said this was being done in the interests of student safety and well-being. The only safety/well-being implication I can see is that they have set this girl up as a target for students angry over the cancellation of the prom. I hope nothing bad happens, but if she is the victim of any retribution, the school officials will be at fault, and should be held responsible. They seem to be going out of their way to instigate something.
Institutionalized hate.
Indoctrinate’em while they’re young.
Don’t want any growing up with those xtian values like love thy neighbor.
Did you catch where she’s dating a sophomore? You think it’s OK for her to “date” a 14 year old in a lesbian relationship? And it’s “Love thy Neighbor”, not “Make Love to Thy Neighbor”, you simplistic idiot.
Well if a senior is 17 or 18, a soph would be 15 or 16. Do I think it’s ok for them to date? Sure. No one said anything about sex (except you) — any more than a male senior would be having sex with a female soph (you’d know more about that than I would). And yes, LGBT youth are coming out that young now. And that’s healthy.
I’m glad the school took a stand. It’s about time more people start doing the same. Hey it’s in the rules, you don’t like it, tough, and the ACLU wants to sue over it…..fine then there just won’t be a prom. I’m sick and tired of hearing stories of the Godless, immoral few trying to demand that everyone accept them.
How about this? I’ll accept that you’re gay, but I won’t accept my tax money going to anything to do with you.
I’m proud of the school officials on this and I think everyone should let them know that it’s ok to not bow down to the leftist few!!!!
Okay ESanders, and how about this: I’ll accept that you are a hateful bigot, but I won’t accept my tax dollars going to anything to do with you. So no gay tax dollars used to build and support the schools were straight kids attend, or to build and repair the roads straight people drive on. No gay tax dollars to pay for your Social Security benefits. No gay tax dollars to pay for police and fire service for straight people. No gay tax dollars to pay for national defense protecting straight people. No gay tax dollars …. well, surely you get the idea by now.