We live in a society in which there are
a myriad of lifestyles. Homosexuality
has been around since ancient
Greece and yet it still an unacceptable lifestyle in certain circles. With the tremendous media coverage that gay
marriage has received in the past few years, it is no surprise that the
controversy would bring attention to other instances of discrimination.
High school prom. (Sigh).
The great memories of dress shopping, getting my hair and makeup done,
the limo, and taking tons of pictures with my date and friends. Prom has an iconic place
in American high school culture.
Although schools have to work to ensure concerns of underage drinking
and drugs are at a minimum, there is always a prom.
But when it comes to having lesbian
couples
at prom, suddenly the importance of the dance changes. Constance McMillen, a senior at a local high
school in Jackson, Mississippi was looking forward to her last prom just like
everyone else. She was also excited to
take her sophomore girlfriend as her date.
One problem: once the local school board got wind of the lesbian pair
(McMillen asked if she could wear a tux) they decided it best to cancel prom
rather than make an exception to the general ban against same sex couples at
school dances. In the end, a private
prom was held as an alternative for homosexual teens to give them a chance
to enjoy the dance.
The ACLU (American Civil Liberties
Union) has played a major role in working to end discrimination
towards homosexuals, especially when it concerns civil rights and this case
was no exception. Perhaps my biggest problem here is that high school is
supposed to prepare teenagers for real life.
To teach them the academic and social tools to enable them to be a
properly functioning member of our highly diverse society. To not allow same-sex couples at prom (and
other high school functions for that matter) is doing a dis-service to all of
the student body.
By: Violet Petran
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