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High Schooler Asks to Bring Her Girlfriend to Prom; High School Cancels Prom Instead
Posted by: Katie Oldaker
in Feminizzle
on Mar 12, 2010 
Constance McMillen had a simple question for her high school principal: she wanted to make sure it was okay for her to wear a tux and bring her girlfriend to prom. What ensued became much bigger than anyone would have anticipated: the school told her no, and when she told them that their ruling was discrimination and that her lawyer would be contacting them, the Itawamba County School District (located in Fulton, Mississippi) decided to cancel prom altogether.
You can hear Constance tell her story in this segment from CBS' The Early Show:
What's most disheartening about this is the fact that not only is the school okaying discrimination, it's even encouraging it. The students, surely having heard about the case by now, are blaming Constance for the whole fiasco. One student approached her the day after the announcement and told Constance "you ruined my senior year."
The ACLU has provided Constance with a lawyer, who is planning on suing the school district with the end goal of reinstating the prom. But, as the school has yet to engage any of the media regarding the situation, it's unclear as to if this will be cleared up in the three weeks until the prom's intended date.
To show your support for Constance, you have a couple of options. You can become a fan of "Let Constance Take Her Girlfriend to Prom!" on Facebook by clicking here. You can also find the names and email addresses of the Itawamba County School District by clicking here.
Video via CBSNews.com
Image of Constance McMillen courtesy Associated Press via Yahoo.com.
The opinions expressed on the BUST blog are those of the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect the position of BUST Magazine or its staff.
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written by EdenCafe, March 12, 2010
Our company has not only fanned the facebook page but are sponsoring a contest to get folks to show support and bring visibility to this nasty discrimination. http://www.edencafe.com/its-prom-time/
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written by Victoria Steinour, March 12, 2010
Props to Bust for covering this story! To show our solidarity, we decided to do a post on our company blog with links to this article, the CBS video, the FB fan page and a contest for readers to show support with posts and pics. http://www.edencafe.com/its-prom-time/
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written by Laura T, March 12, 2010
This is terrible. And of course, it just flames the fire of high school drama types. I am not on Facebook, so I'll support in some other way.
On a side note, if my biggest problem was that my senior year was being "ruined" because of the prom cancellation, I'd be set. Ah, teenagers. They're just dumb sometimes. But the adults? They need to set a good example, which clearly they are not with these actions.
On a side note, if my biggest problem was that my senior year was being "ruined" because of the prom cancellation, I'd be set. Ah, teenagers. They're just dumb sometimes. But the adults? They need to set a good example, which clearly they are not with these actions.
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written by Rachael, March 12, 2010
Something seems weird with this story. It almost seems provoked. Why would she ask for permission in the first place, and when given the answer she didn't want, threaten to sue? I understand and respect Gay rights and am totally for equal rights and all that, but I also think that it's stupid that her wanting to attend prom with her date was even in question. Just seems provoked, is all. It's too easy to sue over things these days.
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written by Terry Stormes, March 12, 2010
I looked up the email addresses of the school board and wrote them ALL a letter. Such small minds have no business making decisions about education.
She should have just done it...
She should have just done it...
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written by mbt, March 12, 2010
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written by Heather Edwards, March 12, 2010
At my high school in the 90's, I brought a girl to my freshman spring dance, but by the time we had gotten to our junior prom, we were no longer allowed to bring members of the same sex when we bought tix together. we just used our guy friends to bring our girls and we would bring their guys. its no big deal to get around the issue if you don't want to rock the boat...but obviously Constance didn't feel that way, and felt she should be allowed to bring her girlfriend. I respect that.
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written by adam, March 15, 2010
Tell them to eat a dick..... so many ediots in this world wasting our oxygen
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written by Nina D'Angier, March 18, 2010
I wonder what the school would've done had she not asked and had she just shown up...?
Is there any chance of a company (or even Bust) sponsoring/co-sponsoring a dance in their hometown as a replacement Prom?
Is there any chance of a company (or even Bust) sponsoring/co-sponsoring a dance in their hometown as a replacement Prom?
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written by JtotheF, March 18, 2010
to Rachel- there was bi laws stating that you could only bring a member of the opposite sex to the prom, and if I remember correctly her girlfriend is in the same school but not a senior so she couldn't just show up. But I gotta say, I lived in liberal connecticut and there were bi laws for our junior and senior year. But they weren't upheld unless you were drinking or using at the prom. Bottom line, is this school thought it was going to u turn around the problem, but they just brought more bad karma their way.
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written by C M, March 18, 2010
Just FYI.. Itawamba County is in the northeastern part of Mississippi. Jackson is in Hinds County, in the middle of the state. http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/districts/msmap2.htm That's a link to a map of the counties in MS.
This has been a big school year for gay rights issues in MS. Last year, Ceara Sturgis and her school district had a disagreement about her wish to wear a tux in her senior yearbook photo. Here's a link to that. http://www.jacksonfreepress.co...on_111809/
Please check your facts. It's not hard to do, and I expect more from you, Bust! Kudos, though, for spreading the news.
This has been a big school year for gay rights issues in MS. Last year, Ceara Sturgis and her school district had a disagreement about her wish to wear a tux in her senior yearbook photo. Here's a link to that. http://www.jacksonfreepress.co...on_111809/
Please check your facts. It's not hard to do, and I expect more from you, Bust! Kudos, though, for spreading the news.
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written by C M, March 18, 2010
Oh, and also.. I know that this issue has sparked a lot of support for the MS Safe Schools Coalition, and a few different people and organizations have come forward with donations and offers to wholly fund or help fund a prom for McMillen's community.
From the MSSC web site: "The Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition is a collaboration of people and organizations who believe that no student should ever feel too afraid to go to school. Harassment, bullying, and unfair school policy can make schools into hostile places for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth or young people who are mistakenly perceived to be queer. We train students and allies to make schools safer while fighting for long-term policy change."
For more information, or to help the ACLU and MSSC and other donors, here's their web site.
http://mssafeschools.org
From the MSSC web site: "The Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition is a collaboration of people and organizations who believe that no student should ever feel too afraid to go to school. Harassment, bullying, and unfair school policy can make schools into hostile places for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth or young people who are mistakenly perceived to be queer. We train students and allies to make schools safer while fighting for long-term policy change."
For more information, or to help the ACLU and MSSC and other donors, here's their web site.
http://mssafeschools.org
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written by Karli, March 18, 2010
It was stupid of her to ask in the first place. She should have showed up with her date in the first place.
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written by SaraChicago, March 18, 2010
[We can let her bring her girlfriend to the prom - that will make her think her kind is equal to us. Next thing you know, they'll want the right to vote!] (That was all sarcasm by the way; I know it doesn't work in text, but this is so ridiculous, I must express myself with some snark).
Utterly ridiculous what the school is doing, not just in saying no and refusing to say more, but by canceling the prom and letting this poor girl take the blame. It's childish of a bunch of people who are supposed to be the grownups. I agree with another user; if prom being canceled was the worst thing to happen to me in high school, I'd have much better memories of the place. But they're teenagers, so we'll cut them some slack.
(Okay, snark ended, now I'm mad).
I teach college and many of my students are not far removed in age and maturity from these students. I realized long ago that teaching is a full-time job, and I mean that as in 'all the time'. Teachers, administrators, and so on must remember that even outside the official classroom, teaching is still taking place. They are teaching these students how they should behave in this world. When they do something underhanded and cruel, they shouldn't be surprised when these teenagers grow up and do the same thing. What kind of an example are they setting? What will this do to turn back all that advocates have worked for?
Utterly ridiculous what the school is doing, not just in saying no and refusing to say more, but by canceling the prom and letting this poor girl take the blame. It's childish of a bunch of people who are supposed to be the grownups. I agree with another user; if prom being canceled was the worst thing to happen to me in high school, I'd have much better memories of the place. But they're teenagers, so we'll cut them some slack.
(Okay, snark ended, now I'm mad).
I teach college and many of my students are not far removed in age and maturity from these students. I realized long ago that teaching is a full-time job, and I mean that as in 'all the time'. Teachers, administrators, and so on must remember that even outside the official classroom, teaching is still taking place. They are teaching these students how they should behave in this world. When they do something underhanded and cruel, they shouldn't be surprised when these teenagers grow up and do the same thing. What kind of an example are they setting? What will this do to turn back all that advocates have worked for?
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written by erisofdiscordia, March 18, 2010
As someone else said, Itawamba County is not Jackson, MS. I live in Clinton which is a suburb of Jackson in Hinds County. I grew up here, went to high school here. I do not share the same view as those misguided (using nice words) board members in the Northeast of the state. Nor do I know anyone who would think those people are correct in their attitude.
Basically, I wanted to let you know that not everyone in Mississippi is like that. We may be the fattest, most illiterate state in the union on paper, but that doesn't speak for all of us.
Basically, I wanted to let you know that not everyone in Mississippi is like that. We may be the fattest, most illiterate state in the union on paper, but that doesn't speak for all of us.
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written by RD, March 26, 2010
I support the right of couples to openly be in public together. Unfortunately the message this school is sending is "honesty is punishable, and if you don't like our bias, it's your fault 'cause you're not like us!" It's not like we're talking porn, it's a date to the prom. Yes, I suppose she could have got non couple tickets and gone anyway. "Better to ask forgiveness than permission." This is a situation/pr nightmare for the school, and yet another excuse for prejudiced conservatives to preach ignorance at us.
On a less reverent note, has anyone noticed a resemblance to Sarah Palin in the interview? "What if Palin was a young gay women......" BTW, love the parodies from the bust emails. Maybe thats why it hit me!
On a less reverent note, has anyone noticed a resemblance to Sarah Palin in the interview? "What if Palin was a young gay women......" BTW, love the parodies from the bust emails. Maybe thats why it hit me!
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I can't wait for the day that people who try fruitlessly to keep the LGBTQ population down realize that they are on the wrong side of history.