Miss. School Cancels Prom to Ban Lesbian Constance McMillen

by Susan Marie Kovalinsky | March 11, 2010 at 08:43 am

2331 views | 52 Recommendations | 15 comments

The Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Mississippi has canceled its April prom rather than allow Constance McMillen, a lesbian, to attend the event with her girlfriend.

ACLU Defends Constance McMillan's Constitutional Rights

The Clarion-Ledger states that 18-year-old senior Constance McMillen thinks the school is being punitive and she has contacted the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to press her case after school officials informed her that she was forbidden from wearing a tuxedo to the April 2 prom, and from bringing her girlfriend as a date.

A reporter from the paper says that the school, rather than rescinding the statement issued to Ms. McMillen, has decided to cancel its prom and is instead looking for a private hosting of the event.

Conservative Liberty Counsel Offers to Host Prom

The ACLU contends the ban on same-sex dates is a violation of McMillen's constitutional rights. The Liberty Counsel, a conservative legal group, has offered its services free to the school district.

An attorney for Liberty Counsel, a private conservative group, which is offering to host the event, Stephen Crampton said attempts to override school policy is part of a larger gay agenda to force equality of same-sex couples. The paper said Crampton reminded the reporter that the state of Mississippi still has anti-sodomy laws on its books.

Clash Between LGBT & Conservatives in State Schools

The issue is part of a broader culture war involving increasing expansion of LGBT rights on the one hand, and a growing backlash coming from cultural conservatives and Christian groups such as AFTAH (Americans for the Truth About Homosexuality) on the other. Peter LaBarbera who is founder and director of AFTAH, is one of the most outspoken proponents of "fighting the gay agenda in public schools."

Liberty Counsel emphasizes the sanctity of traditional marriage, and religious freedom, and has been an outspoken advocate of religion regarding the Proposition 8 trial in the state of California.

The Fulton, Miss. school story breaks as the outcry against anti-gay discrimination in public colleges and universities in Virginia has made the state's Governor retract a directive he had issued last week, asking that sexual orientation and gender identity no longer be protected under official state clauses.

McMillen and the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi gave the district until Wednesday to drop its objections to same-sex dates,” reported The Clarion-Ledger. “The school board responded with a statement canceling the prom and suggesting a private group host an independent prom instead. The ACLU contends the ban on same-sex dates is a violation of McMillen's constitutional rights. The Liberty Counsel, a conservative legal group, has offered its services free to the school district.

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Joy Gugeler

at 09:50 on March 11th, 2010

Great work Susan! Perfectly done :) Just added a couple more subtitles and tags! Excellent all around.

Susan Marie Kovalinsky

at 11:51 on March 11th, 2010

Yes, Roy, I agree there is nothing necessary about proms. And the conservative liberty counsel has come forward to fund and host the prom, and will bar her on Christian grounds.

Grace H

at 12:21 on March 11th, 2010

Why is it such a big deal if she wears a tux? Is it merely because it is offensive to the powers that be? Life is offensive. Grow up and let go of the nuances so as to see the larger picture.

There is no rational argument so as to exclude or ostracize her. Let it be. By blind adherance to outdated views (debatable either way) the administration is only making the situation worse for all prospective attendees. What are they so afraid of?

In the end theyre going to look the fool. If this goes to court she will most likely win. Even in the midst of the bible belt. Sheer hypocrisy and bigotry will be overturned by higher courts if supported therein. If not, the justice system is fallacious and both the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence noll and void!

Jordan Yerman

at 13:00 on March 11th, 2010

If a boy and girl said that they were going to prom together and both wore tuxes, I can guarantee that prom would not have been canceled.

This is an almost-comically literal case of homophobia.

The girls could get around it by saying that they won't go together, then show up separately, but that would be conceding the larger- and far more important- point.

CT Thompson (not verified)

at 13:12 on March 11th, 2010

I am not gay, however my dear friends who are gay didn't just wake up and one day decide, "Hey, I think I'll be gay today!' Homosexual people are they way they are - it is not a choice. To have such blatant discrimination in this new century, in the U.S. is unbelievable. Let kids be who they are and attend the prom! Imagine if nobody sat in the front of the bus in the '60s. Do you think there would be equal rights for African American people in the U.S.? This situation is no different. She had to make a stand for who she is. You are punishing this poor girl for the natural way Mother Nature made her. Shame on you Mayor of Fulton, Mississippi for being so backwards. Imagine if you had a gay child and their rights were violated. It would really hurt. I am glad I live in California.

Hugh Askew

at 15:03 on March 11th, 2010

I would certainly like to see some proof that "Mother Nature" makes people homosexual. Either mankind would be extinct, or homosexuality would not exist, if "Mother Nature" were at fault.

Grace H

at 15:11 on March 11th, 2010

And yet what in life may trule be catagorized by such absolutism? Nothing is ever black and white. Relativism and subjective concious make all maxims, axioms, and "knowledge" etc valid only to those peoples whom share a frame of mind and predisposition.

Furthermore, there are cases of homosexual relations in animals. If humans are seperated from animals via complex emotion, intentional language, and abstract intellect then the tendency towards homosexuality must not lie in those characterisics or we as humans would not be homosexual. Yet, there are homosexuals within the global population implying that it is a more basic or simple (if you so will) notion--where those deemed more simple being what tie us to the animal kingdom and thus "Mother Nature" per se.

Hugh Askew

at 15:48 on March 11th, 2010

Regardless, evolution is not kind towards non-breeding types. That is a fact of life. If genetics are involved, then homosexuality would have been bred out of our species a long time ago.

Eli Trachtenberg (not verified)

at 11:19 on March 13th, 2010

A study was done several years ago to test this, and proves that homosexuality is something that you were born with.Basically, it showed that the neural activity in homosexuals was heightened when they were exposed to pheromones of people of the same sex, but no response when exposed to pheromones of the opposite sex. Is that proof enough for you?news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/05/0510_050510_gayscent.html

Daniel Chance (not verified)

at 15:52 on May 5th, 2010

How would mankind be extinct? I myself am not gay but not only is that completely beyond what anyone is saying, there has been evidence of homosexuality as far back as ancient Greece and Rome. Which at the time were not only some of the most successful countries but the most powerful and industrial. Back then homosexuality was considered to be ok and often seen as a right of passage from younger to older. Also, they know for a FACT that many types of male chimps will engage in sexual intercourse with other males when the second male is overly aggressive in the group or tries to fight the alpha male. For thousands of years they've done this and we still have plenty of apes.Saying everyone would turn gay if it were created by nature would basically be like saying all crocodiles are gonna turn albino because it genetically happened to a few of them. I'm not necessarily saying homosexuality is a hiccup of the genes, just that a few instances of ANYTHING genetic is very, very, very rarely (if ever) spread throughout an entire species.

DENNIS TROY (not verified)

at 20:40 on March 25th, 2010

If I am remembered for anything when I die I hope it won't just be that I was flamboyant, crazy, loved jewelry and furs, and had a great sense of humor. Many people know that I have been a die hard activist for Human Rights for ALL people...Straight, Gay, Black or White for decades. And NOW I have a computer! WOW! I am a self appointed watchdog and when stuff happens that others might miss......I scan and send!!! I have been on the phone most of today with the ITAWAMBA AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL. A student answered the phone because supposedly there was no secretary, teacher or principle or even a janitor in the school at 1 PM. SO I asked "CRISSY" ( not her real name ) her thoughts about the prom and she told me the students are split 50-50. I can hardly fathom canceling a senior prom that happens ONCE in your life because a Judge ruled that one girl could bring another girl to the prom. This is all happening in FULTON MISSISSIPPI the heartland of the Bible Belt. I admire this young woman for bringing this to court and kudos to the judge who ruled in her favor. In 20 years all of this will be a moot point. Babies born today will not care who loves who and who can get married because hopefully we will be able to marry ANYONE we love that is of legal age and is not related to us. Living in Massachusetts I was able to marry my Prince Charming because the LAW said I was FINALLY equal to everyone else on my street! What a joyful day that was. I will not bring up the suffering I went through for decades because I was a gay man other than to say......it's payback time and I am doing my best to see that we are ALL equal under the law....and NOT the Catholic Church. I have UNLIMITED calling and 2 computers and took typing instead of gym!! Won't you join me in gaining equal rights for all by reading the paper, watching the news and CALL people or institutions where injustice of any kind is being perpetuated. Dennis...........See 2 articles/photos below. FULTON AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL.....1-662-862-3104, 1-662-862-5749