Being a gay teenager isn't easy. And when a gay teenager is told by adults who are in positions of authority that being gay is wrong, the seeds can be planted for a lifetime of self-hatred and hurt. We're hoping that isn't the case for Constance McMillen.
McMillen is an 18-year-old high school senior in northern Mississippi who wanted to attend her school's prom on April 2 with her girlfriend, dressed in a tuxedo, after the school released a memo saying that no same-sex couples were allowed to attend the prom together. When the American Civil Liberties Union got involved on McMillen's behalf, the school district announced on Wednesday that the prom, which was to be held at Itawamba County Agricultural High School, would be canceled.
"A bunch of kids at school are really going to hate me for this, so in a way it's really retaliation," McMillen told The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Miss.
In a statement, the Itawamba County school district said they hope someone will organize a private event for the students, but could not hold the official prom "due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events." Officials did not specifically cite McMillen as the cause for the event's cancellation.
The ACLU, however, says that the school district is just trying to wash its hands of the situation, rather than treat McMillen as an equal student.
"But that doesn't take away their legal obligations to treat all the students fairly," Kristy Bennett, legal director for the ACLU of Mississippi, told The Associated Press. "On Constance's behalf, this is unfair to her. All she's trying to do is assert her rights."
The ACLU filed a suit Thursday against the school district in federal court, demanded that the prom be re-instated and McMillen be able to attend with her girlfriend.
A rural area near the Alabama state line, Itawamba County boasts a population of 23,000.
We're hoping that McMillen will not be seen as the villain to her fellow students, and that this will be a lesson to them about the harm that fear and ignorance can bring. We're proud of you, Constance, for fighting for what you believe in.
Miss. School Cancels Prom After Lesbian Couple Asks to Attend





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