Prom is Canceled Due to Potential Same-Sex Attendees
Gabrielle Moore | Mar 11, 2010 | Comments 9
Prom is a big part of the high school experience. Imagine if you were told you weren’t allowed to go. Not because you broke any rules or did anything wrong, but simply because you were gay, and wanted to bring your same-sex partner with you. Sound fair? It’s not, nor is it legal, so instead of allowing one Mississippi girl to bring her girlfriend to the high school prom, the high school canceled prom altogether.
Eighteen-year-old Candace McMillen challenged Itawamba Agricultural High School’s objection to same-sex dates, requesting to bring her girlfriend to prom, and to wear a tuxedo. She joined with the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi and gave the school a deadline to drop its objections. When the deadline came around, instead of letting McMillen go to prom, they canceled it. In a statement released by the school, they declared that the commotion stirred by Candace had created a distraction that caused them to cancel the prom, but encouraged the community to set up a private prom. “Oh, my God,” McMillen told the Jackson, Miss. Clarion-Ledger. “That’s really messed up because the message they are sending is that if they have to let gay people go to prom that they are not going to have one. A bunch of kids at school are really going to hate me for this, so in a way it’s really retaliation.”
McMillen and the ACLU are intent on not letting the school board get away with this, and have filed a lawsuit against the school asking the school to reinstate the prom for all students. “All I wanted was the same chance to enjoy my prom night like any other student. But my school would rather hurt all the students than treat everyone fairly,” said McMillen in the statement. “This isn’t just about me and my rights anymore – now I’m fighting for the right of all the students at my school to have our prom.”
The actions of the school board are frankly embarrassing, and it’s unfortunate to face such a strong reminder that homosexual intolerance is still present in America. The fact that they would rather cancel the prom itself than simply let two girls go as dates is disappointing, and I think it’s admirable of McMillen and the ACLU to pursue a lawsuit, not only to get the prom back for students but to make a statement condemning the school and all who discriminate against people like same sex couples.
Weigh in with your opinion on the actions of the school board, and let us know if you have know anyone with stories similar to Candace, where they were discriminated against for being gay.
Photo: The Clarion-Ledger
Filed Under: Awareness
About the Author: Gabrielle Moore is a Michigan State University journalism student. She's still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up, but she harbors a passion for telling moving and meaningful stories, and appreciates the power of storytelling to influence the world. An animal lover since she can remember, she volunteers at her local animal shelter and is involved with Michigan's Children, pushing for legislative support and funding for children's programs across the state.
Support the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition. They are doing great work in Mississippi to promote eqaulity for all students. They rock.. “mssafeschools dot org”
Personally, I Think This Is Ridiculous.
The School Can’t Do That. I Mean It’s One Student; So Your Canceling The WHOLE Prom. What’s The Big Deal, What Do You Have Against Gay’s? Like Seriously Are You Homophobic?
What about the other kids who don’t want that there. Don’t they have a say?
A lot of people ar not comfortable around gays. ZFact of life. And her attending the prom could spoil it for others.
Most straight people are very uncomfortable around gays. It makes us uncomfortable. Why can’t gays understand that. For us it is repulsive. Gays may view it as discrimination, but ouhers see it as being someplace where they can enjoy themselves.
Headline should read, “Gays Take Entire School District Hostage”…
Leni1234, I am uncomfortable around football players, ignorant hicks, bigots. These people make a lot of other people uncomfortable. “ZFact of life.” By your logic, they probably should attend events like prom, because it would spoil it for the mass amounts of underdogs like me.
I am pretty confident “most straight people” are not uncomfortable around gays. Before you make such an overarching assumption, you should climb out from that rock you live under and meet some people outside of your tiny circle of Homophobic peers. I find you, Leni 124 and Adams, repulsive and I think it is pathetic how you can let one person affect you so much. You cannot find personal enjoyment in the presence of someone different? How will you ever survive outside of your insular community?
As a straight man, I say this…. your statement and Itawamba Agricultural High’s actions ARE discriminatory. Anyone, gay or straight who has respect for humans and their rights, find it discriminatory.
I beleive that this is completely bull!!!! I beleive these kids should get their prom n their dates should be who THEY want! Today is a new age and people need to grow up…..if there are are same sex marriages…they have the rite to a damn same sex dance!!!! And tell me this,,, how many girls have had their hearts broken because a *guy didnt ask them to prom… goin with a friend can be just as fun….at least more than sitting at home in bed crying cause your not there!!!
I would like to amend my previous statement. Football players, ignorant hicks, and bigots should NOT attend prom.
Ridiculous! And these are hot lesbians, too.
Whether the presence of “gays” make “other students” uncomfortable is irrelevant. Gay students pay all the same fees as non-gay students. They have a Constitutional right not to be discriminated against, and the backwards rhetoric that suggests they ought to just be happy with their limited lot in life is completely offensive. We didn’t tolerate this schism for minority students of race, nor women. Why now should we demand students of other sexual identities just be happy with less?
Had we taken that attitude, kiddies, we would all be speaking with British accents. Seriously, do some people even stop to fully consider what they’re going to write before they do it? What sort of regressive, backwoods mentality supports canceling an entire prom rather than allow a lesbian couple to attend?