Gays Stay Home! Prom Is For The Straight Kids?
Students at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Mississippi will have no prom this year. The school district has decided to cancel the entire prom, citing that the media coverage surrounding their denial of one students request to wear a tuxedo and attend the prom with her lesbian girlfriend has become a distraction to the educational process in their district. The media coverage has become a distraction. Now the high school is facing a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union which argues the school is in violation of the student's First Amendment rights. One student's sexuality has become national news. The seniors at Itawamba Agricultural High School will have no senior prom. Apparently, only men are allowed to wear tuxedos. And seeing two lesbians together in formal wear is too much for the conservative, deep south to digest. Am I the only one this sounds ridiculous to?
So where are you, America? Sure, this story is a top feature on al the major news sites. Yeah, I heard about it on my National Public Radio affiliate. But where are you, America? Where are the protesters? Where are the picketers? Where are the other students and parents of Itawamba Agricultural High School? Why aren't you outraged? Where is the non-violent civil disobedience Martin Luther King, Jr. founded the Civil Rights movement on? If this girl was banned from her prom because she was Hispanic or African American, would you be more moved to action? If she were discriminated against because she had no arms or had to attend prom in a wheelchair, would that incite you to speak up? Sure, we can file all the lawsuits we want, but the silent voice of a people speaks louder than any judicial ruling.
Let it be remembered that this "case" is about more than protecting First Amendment rights. It's about showing the world who we are as a people and what we're willing to stand for. It's about showing our kids that their differences are what makes them special and that we won't condemn them for having the courage to express those differences.
I am ashamed by the behavior of this Mississippi high school and feel sadness for its students. I think to turn something as innocent and memorable as a senior prom into a media circus and a moral pitfall is un-American.
Posted by Cynthia Bateman at 3/12/2010 7:36 AM 
Categories: All Things Political,What's On Your Mind,Education,Life,Philosophy
Tags: politics philosophy teens parenting prom life homosexuality education teaching
Categories: All Things Political,What's On Your Mind,Education,Life,Philosophy
Tags: politics philosophy teens parenting prom life homosexuality education teaching
What I really don't understand is why is the thought of two girls going to prom together more disgusting then watching a bunch of straight teenage horn dogs rub up against each other for four hours? Why is it assumed that a gay or lesbian couple is going to act worse/more sexual than a straight couple?
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The kicker is that school officials have suggested that if there is to be a prom, then it would have to be privately held. So the parents can get together and throw a prom that is gay and lesbian free. Wonderful.
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While I do agree that the school district is wrong with their decision to cancel prom all together, it must be noted that they were put in a tough situation. The student in question didn't need to request permission to show up in a tux, not declare that she was doing it to bring her lesbian girlfriend. She did so to challenge the system (or someone coached her into doing so). That is a credit to her, but at the same time, she has ticked off a lot of her peers for causing their prom to be cancelled.
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Interesting, but believable in the Dirty South.
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I think it's presumptuous at best to say the student revealed her prom plans to challenge the system. Perhaps, as many homosexuals are, she was afraid/unsure of the reception she and her girlfriend would receive and wanted to make certain she had the okay from her school.
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And that might be exactly what happened. However, since we don't know, I think it is only fair to pose the possibility. If she felt comfortable enough with her position and chose to challenge the system, then I think she deserves a lot of credit. I know many adults who lack the guts to take a stand on a trivial issue as it is, let alone something controversial.
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