ACLU Joins Fight In Lesbian Prom Flap
Earlier this week, a Mississippi high school cancelled its senior prom after a female student wanted to bring her girlfriend, but the ACLU is seeking a court order to force the school to bring back the even.
According to CBS News, charges of discrimination and violation of a teenager’s rights have derailed the prom plans in Fulton, Miss.
Senior Constance McMillen, 18, was ready for the prom. She even had a date. But the problem at Itawamba County Agricultural High School, was her sophomore — girlfriend.
McMillen told CBS News, “I just want to go to the prom and bring
my date, just like everyone else gets to.”
But in Fulton, the idea of a lesbian prom couple hit a nerve.
The school board said it violated their policy against same-sex couples at the dance.
So McMillen couldn’t bring her girlfriend. And she couldn’t wear a tuxedo. Lawyers on all sides got involved. he school board cancelled the dance, saying in a statement the decision was “due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events.”
McMillen said on “The Early Show” that, when she spoke with her school’s principal in December about her intentions to bring her girlfriend to the prom, he told her it wasn’t allowed. When she asked why, he told her it concerned the tickets for the event.
She said, “He said that something about when the tickets were first started, that it was cheaper for people to come as a date, like just two friends than to come individually, so people would do that and they were just trying to prohibit that.”
But McMillen said, “I explained to him that you can’t pretend like there’s not gay people at our school, and if you tell people they can’t bring same-sex date, that is discrimination to them.”
McMillen said the feeling at school is “hostile” and “silent” since it was announced the prom has been cancelled.
She said she’s been told by classmates that she’s ruined their senior year.
Click here to read the full story
