Mississippi — Constance McMillen didn’t believe her Mississippi school district would really call off her senior prom rather than allow her to show up with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo.
On Thursday, a day after the Itawamba County school board did just that, the 18-year-old lesbian high school senior reluctantly returned to campus to some unfriendly looks, she said.
“Somebody said, ‘Thanks for ruining my senior year,’” McMillen said.
The district announced Wednesday it wouldn’t host the April 2 prom. The decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union demanded that officials change a policy banning same-sex prom dates because it violated students’ rights. And the ACLU said the district not letting McMillen wear a tuxedo violated her free expression rights.
Comments
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smitty (anonymous) says…
That butch-fem thingy sure upsets people while it also entertains them.
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
smitty: I think you're confusing that with the Lipstick Lesbians, that do it just for attention and to turn men on, or to experiment and have fun temporarily. People don't like real lesbians, just the fake ones.
It sucks that she's getting blamed for this by the kids. If the kids protested the school board rather than being mean to one girl, they might get their prom back.
cg22165 (anonymous) says…
Bingo Jonas, it wasn't the girl's decision to cancel the prom.
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
Get a life, invictus. I'm sure you have a gigantic sample to base that off of.
imastinker (anonymous) says…
I read this story yesterday. The school board is hoping that parents will host a prom instead of the school to avoid legal issues that are a distraction from the educational process. The ACLU threatened a lawsuit.
somedude20 (anonymous) says…
I would like to know how Ellen Degeneres keeps on hooking up with these gorgeous creatures when she looks like a cross between gonzo and Carmela Soprano
jafs (anonymous) says…
GP,
With such a vast sample, your conclusion must be correct.
lindseydoyle (anonymous) says…
This is a good example of how much hatred and intolerance iconoclasts like the ACLU and this girl have. They will ruin things for everybody if they can.
Olympics (anonymous) says…
I always disliked mighty mouse.
whats_going_on (anonymous) says…
I'm really confused...why would they call off the entire prom instead of just not allowing her to come? (Which I think is wrong, but I'm still curious)
beatrice (anonymous) says…
right, lindsey, why can't that girl just suck it up and be straight for one night? I mean, why should everyone have to acknowledge that gay people are in this world? Were you born this intollerant of others, or has it been a life choice?
Well, cancelling the prom -- that sure cleaned up the problem, now didn't it? Rather than admitting one couple who most of the teens would have just ignored, the "adults" make a massive, national story about it and punish everyone for something that shouldn't be punishable or ignored, but simply accepted as a reality of life. Brilliant.
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
smitty (anonymous) says…
Thanks for the try jonas but I am no longer confused on this subject.
The tease stereo type as well as the butch aggressive violent stereotype by poser is non sense. Label, label labia. Who cares?
However, I was one of those that ***should*** have worn the tux. Wearing those fu'me pumps, trying to make a puff hairdo out of my duck tail, and trying to act like I was a stereotypical fem. Was and still is somewhat embarrassingly humerus to see the prom photos.
Dara & Karman's Hit List: "Lesbian Bar Archetypes"
very funny routine...enjoy!
http://www.afterellen.com/blog/karman...
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Having spent my youth in Hollywierd, I can only say, "Far out Dude"!!
matchbox81 (anonymous) says…
Why are people blaming the ACLU for this? And why do people think that the ACLU is "forcing" the school board to do anything. In this specific example, the school board disaffected a lot more people than the ACLU or a single couple.
smitty (anonymous) says…
**She should try to have them changed if she disagrees.**
That's what the ACLU threatened law is about, poser.
Alfred_W (anonymous) says…
"Your date has to be of the opposite sex and women cannot wear suites. "
Weren't these rules enacted AFTER the school realized she planned to attend with her girlfriend?
meggers (anonymous) says…
The rule is discriminatory, period. I'm guessing they will allow two friends of the same sex who aren't gay, but don't have dates, walk in together. So that leaves the issue of the tux. What sort of archaic thinking mandates that young ladies must be forced to wear a dress?
Rather than just change the antiquated rule, the school board illumated their bigotry and ignorance for all the world to see. If you ask me, THEIR names should be splashed all over the news, so that the world can see them for what they are: hateful, intolerant bigots, who threw this young lady under the bus, so that they could perpetuate their own ignorance.
Olympics (anonymous) says…
The bigots are losing. In 10-15 more years of additional deaths and the majority of folks who can't equal rights for gays/lesbians will be gone. Good riddance.
beatrice (anonymous) says…
"and women cannot wear suites. "
So, can the boys wear dresses?
Olympics (anonymous) says…
can't ^handle^
typo
smitty (anonymous) says…
bea, yes they can if this succeeds. The fact that this is about women instead of men is a sign of progress in the movement. Personally, the problems that men bring into the arena have been a major issue to correct before women could even get their day in court. Read Homophobia- A weapon of sexism for a better understanding of how homophobia is based in misogynous.
Lots going on to gain civil rights for all.
D.C. begins licensing same-sex marriages March 4,2010
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/...
Now the DOMA law needs overturned.
**The government filed a motion late Thursday to dismiss the case of Arthur Smelt and Christopher Hammer, who are challenging the 1996 federal act. The law prevents couples in states that recognize same-sex unions from securing Social Security spousal benefits, filing joint taxes and other federal rights of marriage.
U.S. Department of Justice lawyers argued that the act _ known informally as DOMA _ is constitutional and contended that awarding federal marriage benefits to gays would infringe on the rights of taxpayers in the 30 states that specifically prohibit same-sex marriages.
"The president made very explicit and emphatic campaign promises that he opposes DOMA and would provide leadership calling on Congress to repeal it," said Jennifer Pizer, marriage project director for Lambda Legal. "This brief is not consistent with that promise."**
You are right on, Olympics.
lindseydoyle (anonymous) says…
This paper does a poor job of telling the whole story. The school board had to shut down the prom because it had become too much of a distraction to education. That is a legitimate reason. That girl could have gone to the prom dressed normally, instead she had to use the situation to spite everyone else by insisting on wearing a tuxedo.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
why did she have to wear a tuxedo? I have always understood gayness does not presribe to a particular gender stereo types? so, why couldn't she wear a prom dress? Are talking about penis envy here? Why to celebrate her gayness did she need to dress as a Man? How she dresses doesn't identify her sexual identity or preference? If it did, then she should wear a tuxedo. However, to instist on wearing a tuxedo she was overtly stirring the pot to get attention.
purplesage (anonymous) says…
Kudos to the school district. Too often, the insistence on individual rights at the expense of public morals results in acquiesence. The gay / lesbian push for acceptance as a normative and acceptable lifestyle has cost this class of graduating seniors a traditional evening. There is often a cost to doing waht is right. It probably wouldn't make much of a stir in some places (Lawrence would come to mind). But it is a bit more conservative in Mississippi.
rando1965 (anonymous) says…
one man one woman. mind over matter.
meggers (anonymous) says…
Wow, the bigots posted a trifecta.
The school board cancelled the prom, not Ms. McMillen. If she felt she would be more comfortable wearing a tuxedo as her formal attire, who in the hell else's business is it? It's not like she was asking to wear cutoff's and a t-shirt.
Again, if the school board allows same sex heterosexual friends to attend the prom together, this young lady should be allowed to attend with her girlfriend- provided both are dressed in formal attire.
feeble (anonymous) says…
Once again, conservative posters on ljworld.com demonstrate that the sanctity of individual freedoms only applies if you fit the conservative mold. If this were a good ole boy not being allowed to wear his john deere hat, you would all be calling for the school board's collective neck.
headdoctor (anonymous) says…
beatrice (anonymous) says…
"and women cannot wear suites. "
So, can the boys wear dresses?
_____________________________________________________________________
Does this help?
http://www.realmenwearkilts.net/main....
Made_in_China (Paul R. Getto) says…
This is dangerous. If homosexuals achieve their rights everyone else will want them too. This argument comes up annually; enlightened school systems ignore the distractions, have the dances and allow people to come as they see fit. I've even seen schools who fought over whether or not people actually had a date and tried to prohibit groups of dateless girls (or boys) from attending. We make up problems sometimes.
beatrice (anonymous) says…
smitty, I was kidding. I was poking fun at how silly their rules are. I agree that homophobia is queer.
purplesage, there are far more right-handed people than left-handed, thus left-handed people aren't "normal." Would you think it a "moral" issue if they didn't hold a prom because left-handed kids wanted to attend? I mean, it must be a life choice to be left-handed, right? Why can't they just use their right hands like everybody else, like all the "normal" kids?
lindsey's "That girl could have gone to the prom dressed normally" goes right along with consumer 1's "I have always understood gayness does not presribe to a particular gender stereo types? so, why couldn't she wear a prom dress?"
What exactly does "dressed normally" mean? Is normal in Congo the same as normal in London? Are all women who wear pants considered abnormal in your mind? Further, it was the girl's decision, not a group decision, so why try to make it stand for gayness in general. One person's choice of clothing, but if gay kids all across the country enjoyed their proms as they wished, then some would wear clothing socially recognized as gender appropriate, some wouldn't. Don't try to make this single person's choices as representative for all -- it would be like my deciding that anything Rush Limbaugh does is representative of all conservatives (or would it be all radio personalities?).
Gayness is a reality. The sooner some people learn this, the better. Only when we try to act like it is abnormal do we have the closeted Ted Haggards in the world, thus proving that some of the most outspoken anti-gay people among us are really doing so to mask their true identities.
smitty (anonymous) says…
Statement of distraction by the school board is an attempt to exercise a loop hole excuse, only.
If you are ever piqued by a news article in the JW, by all means use google to get information that is edited out .
from another news source.....
The Itawamba County school district's policy requires that senior prom dates be of the opposite sex. The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi had given the district until Wednesday to change that policy and allow 18-year-old Constance McMillen to escort her girlfriend, who is also a student, to the dance on April 2.
BTW, lesbians are not all of like mind on how to gain equal rights for homosexuals. Politics. Based on the individual personality it can appear as a civil discussion or in-fighting for the entertainment of those who oppress this group, just as in every social movement.
I support your view of one man one woman as a religous tenent as I support separation of church and state. Though I do get weary with how long change takes.
jaywalker (anonymous) says…
Aaah, Mississippi. Still the leader in Bigoted Redneck Philosophy. There are still high schools in the South that hold segregated proms. I remember hearing how Morgan Freeman offered to foot the bill for an integrated prom somewhere in Miss., but the white parents held a private whites-only prom anyway. And I think Mt. Vernon, Ga. still holds segregated proms. So, in a way this shouldn't be too much of a shock. Still disappointing, though. And people from down here wonder why "yankees" think of them as stereotypically backwards and stupid. Gee, I wonder....
acg (anonymous) says…
The hatred of the ACLU and this girl? Are you freaking kidding me? The only thing this girl did was try to be herself. God forbid she be true to who she is, right? And you may not always appreciate or agree with the people that the ACLU support and defend, but someday it may be your little special interest group that they are backing. I can't wrap my brain around racism or homophobia. Really? This is 2010 for God's sake, I can't believe people are still wasting their time hating others for being different. What a ridiculous bunch of crap. If I were this girl's parents, I would throw a prom for her, her girlfriend and their supporters and I would call out all the stops. It would be so much better than some balloon/crepe paper dance had with a bad DJ in a smelly gym.
Ricky_Vaughn (anonymous) says…
Ah, the deep south...
LoveThsLife (anonymous) says…
Give me a break..prom is ALWAYS a distraction to education regardless of who goes.
Most of the girls in my high school skipped classes that day to get ready for the prom.
So what if she went to prom in a tux and with another girl..it wasn't hurting anybody else.
In fact, the school board has created even more of a distraction by canceling prom.
imastinker (anonymous) says…
I don't think I care one way or the other about the girl going or not - but why should the school district be the one to make a statement that the parents may not support here? Why should they be doing things that will become a distraction or liability for the district if it's not educating kids? Everybody is acting like the prom is some kind of right - it's a privilege.
I think it was the right decision. They can't hold the prom or the parents will riot and vote all these people out (possibly replacing them with others who aren't as good at running the district) or at the very least show up at a bunch of meetings complaining about it. They can't exclude her or they get sued. So, they cancel the thing and let the parents host the thing (which is how it should be done anyway).
cg22165 (anonymous) says…
lindseydoyle (anonymous) says…
"The school board had to shut down the prom because it had become too much of a distraction to education. That is a legitimate reason."
Or, they could have let the girls attend together and had no distraction; instead, they have a lawsuit and a national spotlight illuminating their prejudice.
beatrice (anonymous) says…
And invictus is disappeardeded againagainagain.
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
New Mississippi State Slogan: "We had to let the blacks in, but we can still keep out the gays!"
Whatcha guys think? I think maybe I should send it to the legislature.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Why do proponents of the gay and lesbian life style feel so threatended and unable to discuss any topic with the word "Gay" in it. Every article I have ever read on here that deals with the "gay" topic ends up with the proponents calling names and pushing fear mongering. In addition it seems so easy for them to whip out the "homophobe" like it were a machine gun. Is there no room for civil discussion?
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Why do proponents of the gay and lesbian life style feel so threatended and unable to discuss any topic with the word "Gay" in it. Every article I have ever read on here that deals with the "gay" topic ends up with the proponents calling names and pushing fear mongering. In addition it seems so easy for them to whip out the "homophobe" like it were a machine gun. Is there no room for civil discussion?
llama726 (anonymous) says…
linsey, you said "The school board had to shut down the prom because it had become too much of a distraction to education. That is a legitimate reason."
No. It isn't. If this type of a matter is a true distraction, then it is only because of the failings of either the school or the community in keeping the students focused on their academic work. What you have, with a ban, is now a distraction. Kids will talk, but the schools should keep them in line.
Maybe if we'd let our teachers actually develop a true curriculum, rather than just teaching to tests constantly, we could have enough analytical and critical thinking by the students to realize that what two people they don't know do is none of their business.
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
"Why do proponents of the gay and lesbian life style feel so threatended and unable to discuss any topic with the word "Gay" in it."
I dunno, Con1, when was the last time that you actually Tried to have a real discussion as oppossed to a mix of trolling and trollbaiting? It's been awhile, hasn't it?
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
But really, this is an article and discussion about segregation and prejudice, not about "Gay." If you substituted any other marginal group in there it would be the same. The only difference is that it's still publicly okay to do it to homosexuals in large swathes of our society.
Is this what you wanted?
llama726 (anonymous) says…
Consumer... It's funny that you mention having a civil discussion. Anti-homosexuality is so strong right now that politicians who don't actually have an opinion on gay marriage are forced to clarify that they won't let gays get married, because the folks in this country would be up in arms if that happened.
I do like that you generalize all people who defend gay and lesbian people as proponents of their lifestyles. No, I'm a proponent of the American lifestyle. Which is the lifestyle of individual liberty. I have defended Christians and Muslims both before, but I'm not necessarily a proponent of either faith.
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
lindseydoyle (anonymous) says…
This paper does a poor job of telling the whole story. The school board had to shut down the prom because it had become too much of a distraction to education. That is a legitimate reason.
---------------------------------------------------------------
The school board created the distraction when they threatened to cancel the prom! Had they left well enough alone there would not of been a distraction.
beatrice (anonymous) says…
consumer 1, homophobe is an appropriate term here. This school board is so afraid of two little lesbians that they chose to cancel the prom rather than allow the two girls to attend. They are acting like lesbianism is something akin to the swine flu, and if they don't keep the other kids away from the lesbians, they will catch it too. They are acting out of fear, not reason. Seriously, how can a girl wearing a tux have any affect whatsoever on the others? it can't. The schoolboard is, in every sense of the word, homophobic.
I do happen to be friends will several gay people, including married lesbians. You know what they do on a given day? Get up, get dressed, eat cereal, go to work, come home, eat dinner and watch CSI, then go to bed. They are no different from any of the rest of us. This school board needs to learn this simple lesson -- people are just people.
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
Multidisciplinary (anonymous) says…
Many years ago I dated a man with a very young son who to me, clearly was gay.
----------------------------------------------------
But... but... but it's a choice! That 5, 6, 7 year old is choosing to be gay!
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Granted Jonas, I have human failing. I have in the past picked fights, called names, done it all. However, I have at least began a dialog rather than just wait until another person makes a comment they may not agree with and then respond under the pretense of righeousness. I don't think anyone who blogs on here knows what you truly stand for or believe in. Sometime try growing a pair and commit yourself to a discussion from the beginning. I admit, I am an opinonated person. The clear thing about me is, everyone on here knows exactly what my opinions are. I don't wait to find out which side the majority, or my buddies are going to be on. That would be easy and requires no real courage. Often times I say things to test the water. You and I both know, it doesn't matter what any single individual on here say's, someone is going to call them names, try to humiliate them or in someway try to make them feel badly. As for me, I may be wrong, but if you know me at all you know, I will apologize when I need to. It doesn't bother me anymore at all to step up to the plate and go down swinging because I understand the majority of people on here base what they believe the truth to be on their personal agenda's. NO one on here has any superiority over anyone esle. Actually, I feel I am wasting my time responding because it doesn't matter what I say, someone will find fault with me. So, you tell me what the universal "truth" is.
I want to point out that I always enjoy your comments, but they are always after the fact when the battle ground is safest.
Con1
gatekeeper (anonymous) says…
Heck, my jr year at high school, the Homecoming Queen was screwing one of the female gym teachers at the school. They didn't cancel homecoming and that was over 20 years ago. They ended up living together after she graduated. I guess for once, KS wasn't "as bigoted as you think".
Those that think the girl should be forced to wear a dress need to find a time machine and return the the 50's please. My mother was always forced to wear a dress and made a point that none of her daughters would ever be forced to wear dresses or skirts. Is this the 21st century?
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Multi, I can always count on you. You rock my world. now if you would just roll it too!!
You are right and Jonas, didn't mean to be too harsh.
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
You should know by now that I have a thick skin. But by saying that the battleground is safe and over, am I to take it that you're letting the rest of my comments lie in the dust?
ferrislives (anonymous) says…
However you feel on this story, I read a much more detailed story on this a couple of days ago, and it stated that this policy has been in place for a while. The school board wanted to prevent friends from coming to prom with friends, so they wrote that policy. They didn't write this policy just because of this case.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Yes Jonas you are correct. it has been a while. Mostly I just bait and troll. Thanks for pointing that out.
I have always respected your intelligence.
Con
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
How sad that it's still taking lawsuits to bring jerkwater pockets of this country into the 21st century and prevent them from inflicting their mouth-breathing, hateful bigotry on yet another generation. While it would be tempting to make comments about the fact that this is in the south, there are plenty of other areas in this country that are just as backward and ignorant.
I am proud of Lawrence High School for being sane and reasonable in the area of tolerance and acceptance. My gay daughter wore a tux to her prom there a few years ago and it was totally a nonissue. There were no riots, nobody's evening was ruined by the sight of girls dancing together (and, come to think of it, straight girls dance together all the time), and the fact that she wore a tux somehow did not spoil anything for the females in dresses. Imagine that!
Principal (at that time) Steve Nilhas and the rest of the staff always set a tone of inclusion and acceptance for all the kids--gay, straight, goth, white, black, Native American, athletes, musicians, artists, etc., etc., and encouraged clubs that met the needs of students with all kinds of diverse interests. My kid was active in gay-straight alliance, Latin, theatre, soccer, and several other areas--and never experienced any bigotry beyond an occasional ignorant remark from the random wingnut homophobe student (the type of unfortunate kid who was probably raised by one of our homophobe fellow posters here).
I am confident that, in a few years, disgraceful and prejudicial acts by schools such as this one in Mississippi will be considered as outrageous and vicious as barring non-whites from lunch counters or nice hotels--because it is.
georgiahawk (anonymous) says…
This all started when we gave women the right to vote!
gatekeeper (anonymous) says…
ferrislives (anonymous) says…
However you feel on this story, I read a much more detailed story on this a couple of days ago, and it stated that this policy has been in place for a while. The school board wanted to prevent friends from coming to prom with friends, so they wrote that policy. They didn't write this policy just because of this case.
///////
that's really sad and makes me hate this school board even more. So, a kid doesn't have a date and they aren't allowed to go to prom with a friend? That is also discrimination and all members of this school board need to be canned and they should all be sued. I've never heard of a school not allowing someone to attend a dance because they didn't have a date.
Being down south, I guess it would have been acceptable for her to be dating a sibling or cousin and bring them, but heaven forbid you bring a friend.
puddleglum (anonymous) says…
umm, we didn't give women the right to vote, that was done by our idiot forefathers.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Multi
So what your tellin me is, we have a love , hate relationship?
You know, that is my motto for Lawrence.
Lawrence, Kansas, the city I hate to love, and love to hate.
Con
georgiahawk (anonymous) says…
Hey, what is up with all the south bashing? Mind you, they deserve it and it is warranted, but you all still live in Kansas and are surrounded by some of the same ilk that live down here. I wanted to be a snob when I came down here, but then there was the politician with the possum video, Tillers murder, Phelps of course and who can forget Brownback and must I go on? Kansas has not been a stellar example of enlightenment! Bash the southern idiot, but look at your neighbors also and for some, look in the mirror!
ferrislives (anonymous) says…
gatekeeper (anonymous) says…
"that's really sad and makes me hate this school board even more. So, a kid doesn't have a date and they aren't allowed to go to prom with a friend? That is also discrimination and all members of this school board need to be canned and they should all be sued. I've never heard of a school not allowing someone to attend a dance because they didn't have a date."
I'm with you on that one. In my high school, several groups went together when they didn't have dates. I thought that was strange as well.
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
Georgiahawk~ Excellent points, and that is exactly why I refrained from south bashing in my post, as easy as it would have been. Coming from the north, I was rather shocked at some of the bigotry I witnessed when I first came to Kansas. But even the north has its pockets of hatefulness and bigotry, so each example should be handled on its own merits (or lack thereof).
misplacedcheesehead (anonymous) says…
Hell, to me, Ks is the South!
lindseydoyle (anonymous) says…
This girl could have gone to the prom with her girl but that was not good enough. She had to declare that she would wear a tux and now all students must suffer for it. Why is it that a reasonable accomodation is never good enough for homosexuals? Is it because they are iconoclasts?
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
So the reason the school board cancelled prom was because a female wanted to wear formal pants and a jacket.
Lindsey, thanks for pointing out the ridiculous lengths ignorant people go to impart their prejudicial biases on others.
lindseydoyle (anonymous) says…
I always hear the homosexual say that all they want are the same rights. No, they want special rights, like dressing up as the opposite gender and making themselves the focus of the entire prom.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Vertigo nice job of using name calling when someone disagree's with your personal opinion. I guess you would rather impart your brand of bias on everyone else? Hmmm? We do all still have the right to voice our opinions regardless of dilusional people who find themselves superior to others Hmmm?
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
Who did I call a name? Who am I being baised against?
gatekeeper (anonymous) says…
lindseydoyle (anonymous) says…
This girl could have gone to the prom with her girl but that was not good enough. She had to declare that she would wear a tux and now all students must suffer for it. Why is it that a reasonable accomodation is never good enough for homosexuals? Is it because they are iconoclasts?
////
No, you are wrong. The school board doesn't even allow friends to go to prom together if they don't have dates (same sex as stated in the article). So, no matter what she wore they wouldn't have allowed her to go with her girlfriend because they are of the same sex. That is discrimination.
Me thinks you are a homophobe or are at least pretty biased against gays and lesbians. Why do you care what she wears? Why should anyone care? Do you believe a girl should be forced to wear a dress? If so, do you live in a parallel universe where women never fought for and obtained any equal rights? As long as her boobs weren't hanging out, it doesn't matter if she wore a dress, a tux or clown suit.
Hmmmm, reasonable accomodation. I remember something similar to that - separate but equal that used to be considered ok. Do you think blacks in the 60's should have accepted that getting to sit at the back of the bus was a reasonable accomodation? Was it a reasonable accomodation that they could drink from a water fountain, as long as it wasn't a white's only water fountain? Are you starting to understand how biased and ignorant your comment was?
This is all about discrimination. The school board is responsible for cancelling the prom, not this girl. The school board is at fault and should be ashamed of themselves and I feel you should to based on your posts.
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
Oh that's right. I called the school board members ignorant.
Well if the shoe fits. Cancelling a school event, creating a distraction from learning from the students, creating national headlines because you don't want a female to wear pants and jacket seems pretty ignorant to me.
gatekeeper (anonymous) says…
And Lindsey, the school board didn't stop the prom because it was a distraction. They stopped it because they were getting sued. Can't get sued for discrimination when they shut the entire event down.
bendover61 (anonymous) says…
The next thing you know someone will want to bring their dog for their date.
gatekeeper (anonymous) says…
Oh, I went and read some of Lindsey's past posts on other articles and I am correct - homophobe!!!!!!!!!!! Lots of comments about the "radical homosexual movement" and their agenda. And guess what? The "movement" is full of iconoclasts and pedophiles. Be scared everyone, be very scared because there are radical gays (really pedophiles and iconoclasts) trying to convert your children. You'd better just hide your kids at home so these radical gays can't get a hold of them. Pretty pathetic. All my gay friends spend all their time trying to convert straight people. They even have secret meetings about it monthly to make sure they're all doing their best to convert us all. I bet this girl that just wanted to go to prom was trying to convert all her classmates too.
What shape is your tin foil hat?
In case you argue this isn't true, this is one of your posts:
"Members of the radical homosexual movement are not so rare, however, and are using these people to further their own agenda. The movement is full of pedophiles and iconoclasts. It is not enough to secure special rights for their members based on their chosen behaviors, the iconoclasts want to destroy the institution of marriage as we know it. As for pedophilia, you don't have to look any further than Obama's own "safe schools czar" Kevin Singer. He advocated using safety in our schools as a means of indoctinating children into homosexuality. There is a very real threat to our children."
beatrice (anonymous) says…
"No, they want special rights, like dressing up as the opposite gender and making themselves the focus of the entire prom."
Indeed. Why don't these girls just wear the burkhas like they are told to?
"The movement is full of pedophiles and iconoclasts."
Are you sure you aren't talking about churches now?
"the iconoclasts want to destroy the institution of marriage as we know it."
gatekeeper is correct, lindsey is the type who thinks allowing "gay marriage" would mean it is mandatory for everyone.
lindseydoyle (anonymous) says…
I really feel sorry for the younger girl who is being mentored into homosexuality. No, they are not "born that way" as homosexuals like to tell each other and anyone else who will listen. Homosexuality was considered a psychiatric condition until the APA caved in to political pressure and changed their DSM. I had a lesbian ex-friend who bragged that she could get almost any girl she wanted to go her way.
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
Well, that sample is skewed. If they were willing to be friends with you, they probably weren't decent people to begin with.
yourworstnightmare (anonymous) says…
It is going to be rough for school administrators to quantify the amount of male versus female genital characteristics in hermaphrodites to determine if a dress or suit should be worn and if the date should be male or female.
It is important to be correct, though. Wouldn't want any "mostly female" hermaphrodites going to the dance with a girl.
mom_of_three (anonymous) says…
And you are such an expert on the matter
yourworstnightmare (anonymous) says…
Religious fundamentalism is a disease. I once knew a preacher who said he could convert anyone to christianity. Political correctness is what stops the APA from declaring religious fundamentalism a disease. It can be cured. These people are choosing to be crazy.
ivalueamerica (anonymous) says…
Lindwydoyle distracts me from my education, lets cancel landseydoyle
gatekeeper (anonymous) says…
I ask you once again Lindsey - what shape is your tin foil hat.
Mentored into homosexuality. That one about made me spit out the tea I was drinking. I have a raging headache today, but laughed out loud over that one. And maybe your lesbian ex-friend was full of it. Or, you never had a lesbian friend since you think so lowly of anyone that is homosexual.
You are a very, very sad person.
I assume we'll see you at the next Westboro Baptist Church protest holding a sign saying "God Hates F*gs"? You're no better than those disgusting people.
jaywalker (anonymous) says…
"I always hear the homosexual say that all they want are the same rights. No, they want special rights, like dressing up as the opposite gender and making themselves the focus of the entire prom."
Special rights? For a girl to put on a tux it takes "special rights"? People this stupid need to go back to Mississippi.
storm (anonymous) says…
What this story means is that Mississippi, the State with highest obesity, needs to have portions of the constitution printed on junk food wrappers. Gay folks (born "that way" or chose to be "that way" like fat people) are U.S citizens who are a minority and require protection. Talk about a teachable moment gone bad.
storm (anonymous) says…
What this story means is that Mississippi, the State with highest obesity, needs to have portions of the constitution printed on junk food wrappers. Gay folks (born "that way" or chose to be "that way" kinda like fat people) are U.S citizens who are a minority and require protection. Talk about a teachable moment gone bad.
beatrice (anonymous) says…
lindsey, do you remember the day when you chose to be straight? Please tell us all about this decision of yours.
blue73harley (anonymous) says…
Ditto what Py said at 1:05 about inclusion at Lawrence High. My kid, who identifies himself as a conservative Rebublican (tougher than just being gay in this community) even did okay!
HomeSlice (anonymous) says…
The school did the right thing - it is a distraction. The girl was trying to create a spectacle, and she succeeded. Dumb move.
Last time I checked the Constitution, the 'right to a Prom' was right below 'the right to healthcare'. Just not there.
No rights being violated here - 'free speech'? Please. The ACLU should be ashamed.
lawthing (anonymous) says…
For the first 6 weeks of life all humans are female. So males are really female mutations!
BorderRuffian (anonymous) says…
Hey!!! How about if we get them to agree to a cat fight? Everyone would love it!!
denak (anonymous) says…
Last time I checked the Constitution, the 'right to a Prom' was right below 'the right to health care'. Just not there.
No, perhaps not but the First Amendment does guarantee the right to assemble peacefully and equal protection under the 14th.
Personally, I think the school was in the wrong. It is just mean-spirited and hateful and their excuse that it was a disruption to the educational process was just b.s. in my opinion.
Dena
HomeSlice (anonymous) says…
"No, perhaps not but the First Amendment does guarantee the right to assemble peacefully and equal protection under the 14th. "
Ummm, is the Prom being held on public property just outside the school? If so, your comment applies. Simply not the case here. Not even close.
The school did the right thing. Those that fan the flames are in the wrong - they have become the disruption.
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
Take you that long to think of a new argument? Why didn't you just take up the old one again, that you were going with before you got pulled?
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
homeslice, you're spewing sludge. Only in your misguided imagination was this girl trying to create a spectacle. She was simply trying to do what American kids have done for generations--go to prom with her date, enjoy a memorable evening with all the other kids from her school, and have something to look back on fondly in years to come. If that know-nothing school hadn't made an issue over what she chose to wear and who she chose for her date, there would have been no "spectacle" or "distraction."
Again--my daughter did wear a tux to her prom--I went with her downtown to rent it--and her date was another girl. At LHS, they were merely part of the crowd--as they wished to be. Nobody thought of them as a distraction (what an idiotic idea) and they did not create a spectacle.
The Mississippi school was in the wrong. In a few years, there will not be any more schools like that, because our young people are leading the cause of acceptance.
And I call "BS" on lindseydoyle's claim to have had a lesbian friend. That's highly unlikely. Doyle's obviously too afraid of gayness rubbing off on him to embrace a gay person as a real friend. It's astounding that such ignorance still exists in these days. People being "recruited" into being gay? Oh, yeah, young kids are rushing to "sign up," because it's so much fun to endure the prejudices and bigotry still prevalent in some circles. Also, if the sex drive you were born with makes you lust after the opposite sex, it's a simple matter to "decide" to swim upstream and "choose" to go after same-sex partners. After all, there are so many rewards for doing so with people like you still around.
And the APA ceased to classify homosexuality as a mental disorder because they "caved in" to political pressure? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight...... And I suppose all the other reclassifications and changes in recommendations they have made were also due to "political pressure" rather than gains in knowledge and establishment of facts..
Let's take a good look at how the brilliant members of the APA back in the mid-1900s looked at and treated people with mental retardation, nervous disorders, depression, and many other conditions or afflictions that are handled so differently today. It is quite possible that Doyle himself would have been a prime candidate for electroshock therapy, a lobotomy, straitjacketed isolation, and heavy doses of thorazine back in those good ol' days, when the APA really had a handle on things...
HomeSlice (anonymous) says…
Distraction and spectacle plain and simple. Just my opinion, which everyone's tolerance here entitles me to, right? If creating a spectacle is not the game, then just show up with your date and stop promoting your agenda. I'm guessing that's what your daughter did, Py. Go to the dance and ' merely part of the crowd--as they wished to be'. Sounds like she should have followed your daughter's example. But clearly she had stirring the pot in mind.
The ACLU still has no case, no matter what your opinion is on how this issue came to be.
JO, not sure if your comment was directed at me, but I was not 'pulled'. Perhaps some double entendre? Easy there Brokeback.
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
No double entendre at all, so perhaps it's you who needs to clean up their mind, not me.
That your a new mask over an old face, though, I see no reason to doubt that at all. I'll admit to potential error on which face I thought it was. Either way, once you post another 10 posts, assuming you do so, we'll all know for certain one way or another.
Couldn't give a rat's patoot about tolerance, myself, which I view as merely lying. I much prefer equality, which of course you have. You have the equal ability to post your opinion, and then to be called on it for the BS that it is. Enjoy your equality.
commuter (anonymous) says…
A couple of comments. Since there are so many enlightened and accepting people here in Lawrence, maybe some of you should move there to help teach them emlightenment and acceptance. Just because things maybe different, doesn't mean that they are as bad is it may be pereived.
Also, there has to be more to this story than meets the eye. There are three sides to every story, the girls, the school district, and the truth. What is the difference bewteen the three sides?? Perception and emotion.
jafs (anonymous) says…
It seems like a straightforward story - the girl wanted to bring her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo, the school canceled the prom.
HomeSlice (anonymous) says…
JO - you fired the first shot, I merely responded. You could have have kept the comments to the opinions stated, but went the extra mile to dismiss my comments by making your post about me. Not sure why you would do that.
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
"Not sure why you would do that."
To figure out who you are, of course.
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
Not true, homeslice. If that girl had gone to a school like Lawrence High, I have no doubt that she would have blended in just as well as my daughter did. It was the school's ignorant policy and the decision to cancel prom out of spite (and fear of a lawsuit) that created the spectacle.
As for opinion, sure, everyone can form their own, but that doesn't negate the fact that some are more valid than others. You may believe that rain is really unicorn pizzle, the sun revolves around the earth, and gold nuggets are just leprechaun bunions, but those opinions are not based in reality nor are they valid.
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
Home Slice- it was the school that created the spectacle. The girl just wanted to attend with another girl and wear pants and a jacket. Where's the spectacle or pushing your agenda in that? The school said NO and if you even try we'll cancel prom for everyone because we don't want you wearing pants and attending with a female.
If anyone is pushing their agenda it's the school board. The agenda being intolerance.
beatrice (anonymous) says…
barryp, "I never went to the Prom because of the 'Stigma'. The 'Need' to be seen for some, is so important."
Yes, we appreciate your not wanting to be seen. Please do stay put in your mom's basement. At this point, you really might just burn up like a vampire if you exposed your pasty white flesh to sunlight.
Poodle treats live undigested.
Darma denouces you.
Jaylee (anonymous) says…
there was a dude who, not as a joke, but kind of to show off wore a dress and shows to prom. fishnets. makeup. i think people danced with him?
either way, that is not cool and a horrible, poorly constructed solution affecting so many more people than were involved directly in the matter.
yourworstnightmare (anonymous) says…
A new Mississippi state office.
The Office of Genital Accounting, headed by the Inspector Genital.
yourworstnightmare (anonymous) says…
Little barrypampers threw his rattle from his crib thusly: "I never went to the Prom because of the 'Stigma'. The 'Need' to be seen for some, is so important."
Yes, otherwise you would never get service at restaurants and you would likely get hit by a car.
Thank you, little barrypampers, for remaining unseen. You are indeed a true patriot.
Now who needs a change....
yourworstnightmare (anonymous) says…
If only little barrypampers also chose to remain unheard (or unread)...
This is just too easy sometimes.
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
(dharma)
rtpayton (anonymous) says…
Footloose II is soon to be released!
HomeSlice (anonymous) says…
The school should be allowed to make and enforce rules for the prom. Isn't it a school-sponsored event? I see nothing wrong with the school having a dress code for the prom and that dress code should be able to prohibit girls from wearing tuxedos and boys from wearing gowns. The school should also have a right to have and enforce rules about student behavior at the prom, including prohibiting behavior that disrupts the event.
It's a shame that this student ruined the prom for everyone else. But the school only did what it had to do.
I also won't have the audacity to say that some opinions are more valid than others. Mine, like yours is a personal view, attitude, or appraisal. Just because you don't agree with mine doesn't make it invalid, it only means that we debate and end up disagreeing.
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
HomeSlice (anonymous) says…
I see nothing wrong with the school having a dress code for the prom...
------------------------------------------------------------------
And if the school board here in Lawrence decided the dress code for the girls should be a full head to toe burkha would that also be ok? If your daughter was upset because she wanted to go to prom but didn't want to be forced to wear a burkha would you not also be upset? After all, your daughter doesn't have the right to go to prom, it's a privilege... and if she wants to exercise that privilege she better be wearing what the gestapo tells her to!
What is the problem with a female wearing a pair of pants and a jacket, maybe a bow tie? Please explain.
vertigo (Jesse Crittenden) says…
It's a shame that this student ruined the prom for everyone else. But the school only did what it had to do.
-------------------------------------------------
No, they didnt HAVE to cancel the prom. They could of held the prom and allowed the girl in question to attend. They weren't FORCED to cancel prom... they CHOSE to cancel prom. Big difference.
Katara (anonymous) says…
If you are unhappy with the actions of the jerks in the administration of this school, you should be really outraged by the jerks in the Rapid City, SD police department.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_lesbian...
none2 (anonymous) says…
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
Again--my daughter did wear a tux to her prom--I went with her downtown to rent it--and her date was another girl. At LHS, they were merely part of the crowd--as they wished to be. Nobody thought of them as a distraction (what an idiotic idea) and they did not create a spectacle.
================================
Aren't you mixing/matching up lesbianism with trans gendered? I would think that if two girls wanted to go to a prom as a couple, they would not be the least bit interested in dressing like a man. Where would be the attraction to look like a boy if that isn't what makes your love interest desire you?
If one or both of the girls wants to dress like a man, then I would think it would be more an issue with gender identity than lesbianism.
none2 (anonymous) says…
lindseydoyle (anonymous) says…
I really feel sorry for the younger girl who is being mentored into homosexuality.
===================
Lindsey, from all your posts on the subject it sounds like you feel like you have been abused by lesbians. Did some lesbian ruin your prom by trying to convert you to her lifestyle? Perhaps you need the nation to make a national apology for the harm that lesbians have done to you and your kind since the beginning of the nationhood?
misplacedcheesehead (anonymous) says…
I confess to having never been to a prom. I also confess to having been a very hateful homophobe about 25 years ago. What changed my mind? A lot more of life, period. Meeting persons who were openly gay and realizing guess what-they're just people like the rest of us. As I grew older, I saw gay couples who treated one another better than some straight couples I know.
It's a very good thing, too, that I had a heart change on this. A year ago, I went up to Wi for my aunt's 80th B.D. My best guy friend from high school was there, at my invitation. He and I went walking outside, and he told me he was gay. Instead of rejecting my friend who had been there for me during hellish times in my life, I was able to tell him, "It doesn't matter. I have always considered you my second brother, and nothing will ever change that."
I think it is cruel of this school board to handle this the way they did.
denak (anonymous) says…
"No, perhaps not but the First Amendment does guarantee the right to assemble peacefully and equal protection under the 14th. "
Ummm, is the Prom being held on public property just outside the school? If so, your comment applies. Simply not the case here. Not even close.
It doesn't matter whether or not the prom is being held on private property or public property.
In Tinker vs Des Moines School District, the court held that students have the right to association on *public* school campuses as long as there are no material disruptions and the rights of other students are not violated. As long as the person is there peacefully, they can not be ejected simply on the basis of their speech or association.
Moreover, since the 1970s, the courts have sided with the belief that it is "patently unconstitutional" for a school to deny a student or student group the right to assemble just because they advocate a controversial subject.
Furthermore, the Equal Access Act precludes discriminating on the basis of speech content against non-curriculum student groups that meet on school grounds during non-instructional time.
So, sorry HomeSlice, the ACLU was right on this one.
Dena
muddfoot55 (anonymous) says…
Sad, Very sad. We want our youth to figure out who they are, then we fault them for what they have chosen to be,
Not everyone fits into theapple pie mold, and they don't want to.
The biggest thing that has happened here is that 2 young women made a choice and stood by it, rare these days. Now because no one got to go to the prom, these ladies have turned into targets for the other students missing the prom.
If it bothered the rest of the student body, they didn't have to go. And the schoolboard didn't have to allow their kids to go either.
So now a lawsiut, just what a school district needs with budget cuts everywhere. And I'm guessing they will lose funding from someplace.
The point is not right or wrong, the point is tolerance. Humans are all different: looks, ideas, behavior, beliefs. I feel like we are allowing the governing powers to continue to assimalate into the collective. If we don't fit, throw us out.
Chances are the prom would have gone on with out a riot, and 20 years from now everyone will be getting a huge laugh over the pictures, including the 2 girls spouses and children, if they choose to have them.
jaywalker (anonymous) says…
"Distraction and spectacle plain and simple"
Sorry, homeslice, but you're waaay off. There would be NO spectacle, no distraction, if the school had just shrugged it off like they should have. Their actions are what have caused the spectacle. Nobody would have heard about this if THEY didn't make it a national story.
smitty (anonymous) says…
For those of you that cannot understand that clothes do not define sexuality, take a look at the photo of this young woman who wishes to attend her prom in a tux....
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2...
Are you really confused now?
snoozey (anonymous) says…
The Inquisition is over, Dachau is now a museum and civil rights are indeed a right of all Americans - can somebody help bring Mississippi along?
tuschkahouma (anonymous) says…
mississippi doesn't care, nor does texas or any of the other bastions of ignorance
in this country. they champion the power of tradition through ignorance. be as your
parents were or the people before them. I was driving near Maple Hill Kansas
last week when I saw a bumper sticker on a truck that stated hatred is a value
of christian families which was a retort to the hatred is not a family value sticker
on many pro gay rights cars here in Lawrence. We educated people live surrounded
by the bigoted rural masses. I grew up in rural Louisiana and Mississippi so I grew up
seeing firsthand. These people don't recognize their ignorance. they rail at the people
that confront them about it and they run the questioners off. I remember when my
parent went to Louisiana to be minister in 1975 and they told him don't
preach any of that northern civil rights stuff. Ignorance lives in intolerance of
other people, progress and the like. Mississippi is simply being as stupid as
it ever was. William Faulkner pointed this out 65 years ago.
ivalueamerica (anonymous) says…
bigots should not be allowed to go the Proms, hold jobs, have children or be afforded any rights in this country.
Hydra (Roger Ford) says…
Let's send our city commision to Mississippi too. Then they can also reinstitute slavery!!i
They should fit right in.
none2 (anonymous) says…
tuschkahouma (anonymous) says…
...We educated people live surrounded by the bigoted rural masses. ...
========================
Do you not see your own bigotry by such a snobbish and arrogant comment? Please keep it up, I'm sure some find such comments as endearing and charming.
tuschkahouma (anonymous) says…
I'm the product of two masters degree earners one of whom died last summer, who
lived in the south in the 1970's and dealt with this foolishness firsthand. my ex-relatives
act like the people in Itawamba County because they live in Jackson and Harrison
County Missisippi. I'm tired of the unapologetic nature of these people and I'm willing
to call them bigots on the basis of thirty five years of observing people as a preacher's
kid. They're not used to people standing up to them as my relatives weren't ready
when I stood up the them at my mother's funeral and I haven't spoke to them
in almost a year. I've earned the right to be arrogant with bigots. I've survived
them.