Lesbian Couple Duped into Fake Prom

[Daenerys]

A lesbian teen who successfully sued her Mississippi school for the right to bring her girlfriend to prom was left out and was instead directed to a "fake prom" on Friday, according to The Advocate.
Constance McMillen, her date and just a handful of others, including two classmates with learning disabilities, attended the dance in Fulton, Mississippi while most of her other classmates from Itawamba Agricultural High School reportedly partied at a separate prom that McMillen was not invited to.
McMillen made headlines just a few weeks ago when, with the help of the ACLU, she fought the school's decision to cancel prom. The school canceled the dance after McMillen sought to bring her girlfriend and to wear a tuxedo.
As part of a preliminary ruling, a judge decided that McMillen was allowed to bring a girl as a date. The judge did not order the school to reinstate the prom because it was understood that McMillen would be invited to a prom being held by parents of her Itawamba classmates. Instead, that prom was canceled and was replaced with the sparsely attended country club event.
Kristy Bennett, the ACLU's legal director for Mississippi, told NEMS360, that she was disappointed.
"Whatever we find will be brought to the court's attention," Bennett told NEMS. "Whether it is in the damages trial, or whatever. There will still be a trial on the merits. The case didn't end in the preliminary hearing."

McMillen, 18, said that her feelings were hurt, but that there was at least one good thing about the night. The Advocate:

Two students with learning difficulties were among the seven people at the country club event, McMillen recalls. "They had the time of their lives," McMillen says. "That's the one good thing that come out of this, [these kids] didn't have to worry about people making fun of them [at their prom]."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_525856.html

[GameGeeks]

That's just not right and the staff needs to be replaced asap and be banned from teaching again. At least the disabled kids had fun. But still this is wrong, a school should not effect student's lives like this.

[Wio]

I get the feeling that this has less to do with her being gay, and more to do with no one liking her.

[Gjallarhorn]

I get the feeling that this has less to do with her being gay, and more to do with no one liking her.

The opinion of the school's administration appears to be both of these, which is the problem.

The rest of the students do seem to be directing their anger at the initial cancellation of the prom toward her, which is probably where this new incident stems from.

Juvenile people using juvenile antics.

[Wio]

The opinion of the school's administration appears to be both of these, which is the problem.

The rest of the students do seem to be directing their anger at the initial cancellation of the prom toward her, which is probably where this new incident stems from.

Juvenile people using juvenile antics.

Why is it juvenile? She got to go to a prom, and the people who didn't want their prom to become some political platform got to attend their own. Everyone got what they asked for.

The only reason she would be upset, is because she couldn't force a pro-gay message on dozens of students because they went elsewhere. That's not what prom is about though.

[Vyndrasta]

Im wondering how it all went down, like how can she be tricked into going to a fake prom. I'm pretty sure someone must have spilled the beans one way or another OR everyone was all on this idea to not let her know. HUFFINGTONPOST I WANT MORE SCOOP!

[Wio]

Im wondering how it all went down, like how can she be tricked into going to a fake prom. I'm pretty sure someone must have spilled the beans one way or another OR everyone was all on this idea to not let her know. HUFFINGTONPOST I WANT MORE SCOOP!

According to a local newspaper, she asked other students which was the real prom and they told her it was the country club one. Of course both proms were real, but every one in the loop knew which one everyone was going to go to.

[Zandan]

Why is it juvenile? She got to go to a prom, and the people who didn't want their prom to become some political platform got to attend their own. Everyone got what they asked for.

The only reason she would be upset, is because she couldn't force a pro-gay message on dozens of students because they went elsewhere. That's not what prom is about though.

I don't think her intention was to force a pro-gay message to anyone, of course I could be wrong, but I think she just wanted to go to her school prom with her girlfriend. I see nothing wrong with that.

[miniPhil]

EDIT: Removing unfair comment about Wio. I still stand by the below statement.

As for the incident itself I agree with Xero, its children acting like children. Would it really have been so terrible for them to just have the prom?

[GameGeeks]

Eh, the teachers at that school are morons, nothing more. They should feel ashamed for what they did to two students. Teachers should not be allowed to force their opinions onto students.

[Forgotten Show]

An indication that a judge knows when he's crossed the line is when he makes a declaration but won't put authoritative weight behind it. Yes, it's pretty crummy that the school said she couldn't bring a lesbian date to their prom. No, not a single civil right was violated in the school's choice to cancel the prom. Proms are voluntary events; both high schools I attended had a prom cancaled recently due to student behavior. Because the girls were not prevented from speaking at any other time and in any other public forum, that's one helluva stretch by Judge Davidson to say that their First Amendment rights were violated because the school canceled its prom.

Reading the article, it was also apparent that girls' intent was to make a statement. Wio's remark is on-target; that girl intended to make a political statement at a high school event. The high school said no, and canceled the event. I don't like how the school handled it, but I don't like smoking or bottom-line focused business practices either. I might not like it, personally, but the school's choice was a legal course of action. If the ACLU pokes this one too hard, they're going to get bit for it when the families of those students who did not want this media attention start filing counter-suits.

I completely support people making public statements in open forums, but there is a line separating appropriateness from inappropriateness of the forum. A high school prom is not an appropriate forum.


Bad Memory

[Gero50]

Honestly I don't know what to say about this. It is just both horrible and good some how. She is a very understanding young girl and she more then deserved to have a prom with her friends and girlfriend.

[The Rebel]

Honestly, I just don't get it? There has never been a problem if two girls attend a prom together before. Just cause one of them decides to wear a tux, that makes it an issue????? How do we know none of those "girlfriends" over the years haven't been lesbian lovers? Seriously, why does it seem people are more concerned about stupid &%$# instead of serious problems with our society?? No wonder I feel no patriotism for my own country, ugh.

[Forgotten Show]

She is a very understanding young girl and she more then deserved to have a prom with her friends and girlfriend.

Why did she not show up with her date the way most do? Do you believe she deserved to turn a prom into a political forum?


Bad Memory

[poshyterra]

That's crap. It's good to know that the disabled kids had fun and that the girl feels that way despite the fact that it was a fake prom. Still, that's garbage. I'm not surprised that the other students would do something like this though. Not shocked at all. In fact, I was expecting this to happen. I'm amazed the girl didn't see this coming.

Still, that's a bunch of bull.

[3pleT]

She is a very understanding young girl and she more then deserved to have a prom with her friends and girlfriend.

And you know this... how exactly? (PROTIP: "Read the articles" is not a good answer.)

[Lavos]

How did the other students feel about this? Were they just as willing to ditch this girl?

[Diocletian]

Mississippi while most of her other classmates from Itawamba Agricultural High School reportedly partied at a separate prom that McMillen was not invited to.

QQ, I wasn't invited. There's a thin line between standing up for what you believe in and just trying too damn hard.

Why doesn't she just wear a dress? I know there isn't a dress code for either sex, but c'mon that's just trying to start stuff. It's like if a hispanic person went to a predominantly caucasian golfing club, didn't have money to pay the fees and was turned away. Then said hispanic person pulls the race card and says that they're just being racist.

[Eris]

Why did she not show up with her date the way most do? Do you believe she deserved to turn a prom into a political forum?


Bad Memory

As it is a place where discrimination occurs, it's probably the most suitable political forums she could possibly have chosen.

[Light Buster]

Discrimination never gets old. It's always around here somewhere until it hits you in the face. I mean, honestly, why would you do that? Now that just taking it too far. If it was in California, the teachers/parents would've been arrested. Something like this shouldn't be sliding around.

[Diocletian]

Discrimination never gets old. It's always around here somewhere until it hits you in the face. I mean, honestly, why would you do that? Now that just taking it too far. If it was in California, the teachers/parents would've been arrested. Something like this shouldn't be sliding around.

There's a difference between discrimination and "I'm not inviting you because we'd be uncomfortable". I'm all for gays, but if the people didn't invite you, they just didn't invite you.

I've always wondered how they "cancel" these proms. Does someone stand on the tables during lunchtime and scream "I'M TAKING MY GIRLFRIEND TO PROM"! If I was a homosexual female, I would just go to prom with my girlfriend and not tell anyone. They can't just cancel the prom on the spot now that they've spent all that money.

[Forgotten Show]

As it is a place where discrimination occurs, it's probably the most suitable political forums she could possibly have chosen.

Then a more intelligent course of action would have been to just show up. Her goal from the start appears to be putting the school on the spot, not making a statement to students. Either way, canceling a voluntary event is not infringing upon or restricting one's First Amendment protections.


Bad Memory

[Lavos]

I'm sad I never got to go to fake prom.

[Eris]

Then a more intelligent course of action would have been to just show up. Her goal from the start appears to be putting the school on the spot, not making a statement to students. Either way, canceling a voluntary event is not infringing upon or restricting one's First Amendment protections.


Bad Memory

You could probably implement a significant chunk of apartheid without violating the first amendment. Doesn't make it any more right to do, though.

[Wio]

If she really wanted to go to the prom, she would have just followed the dress code and got in. Any heterosexual guy who wanted to wear a dress or heterosexual girl who wanted to wear a tuxedo would have gotten the same treatment because the dress code was the main issue. Once she got in she'd probably be able to do lesbian stuff in the prom because the rules are poorly enforced at proms.

She knew what she was doing when she began making threats and got the ACLU involved. In the end, she got the attention she wanted, a spot on Ellen Degeneres' show and a 30k scholarship.

If you believe that she just wanted to go to prom and didn't want to make a scene, then you're insulting her intelligence.