In a shocking story brought to us by Cnn.com, Constance McMillen, a senior from Fulton, Mississippi, is making waves at her high school after being told she would be ejected from her prom, along with her date if any other students complained. Constance is an open lesbian who wished to accompany her girlfriend (who is also a student) and wear a tuxedo. She was told by school officials that her date must be of the opposite sex and that only male students would be allowed to wear tuxedos. After the issue gained notice, the school board voted to cancel the prom altogether due to the fact that it was interfering with the education process and that they hoped students would still have their prom by other means. The school is being sued by the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) on the basis of violating Constance's First Amendment right to freedom of expression.
I am angry that a school would retaliate against a student in such a way for being gay. I am also shocked that they would blatantly violate a students rights just because they would rather not have to see her at a school function in pants rather than a dress.
My personal opinion is that the school board is a biased group that should all be booted for their old fashioned mind sets. People like that shouldn't be in charge of molding the minds of the next generation. Living in the bible belt, I have grown up with closed minds all of my life and I hate it. Everyone has the right to believe what they want to believe and practice whatever religion they choose in the U.S., but why are they not allowed to pick their own prom date in Mississippi? I am saddened that a student has to face such animosity from other students and school officials because she wanted to be like everyone else and go to her prom.
This is like a huge step back in equality for all from the article I wrote about an hour ago. And here I though we were making progress!
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