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<p>Don’t count on it.</p>
<p>Evolutionislife, regardless of the worthiness of your cause, I am asking you to reread the Terms of Service (under FAQ). Conducting promotions and campaigns from here is not permitted. </p>
<p>Please continue to inform without linking parents to various phone numbers and so forth.</p>
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<p>gosh email is so easy to delete </p>
<p>fax/phone is something else entirely. you can ask them poignant, hard questions and make them think twice about their bigotry. it’s a very human experience.</p>
<p>Opponents of the school board’s decision have to use their heads in this fight. Judging from some of her classmates’ comments, the private prom party might be more accommodating to she and her date. Still doesn make it right that the officials canceled the school sponsored prom, but who knows how this situation will evolve?</p>
<p>And by the way, there’s little chance a legal challenge to a private prom would stand. There are similarities to the case of the all-white prom in a south Georgia town. There is still, last I read, the all-white private prom party. The high school stopped officially promoting their own prom because it remained unfortunately segregated.</p>
<p>just joined the “Constance McMillen fan page” on facebook.</p>
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<p>This was just so mean.</p>
<p>“Due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events…” does this not sound like the case where students had their rights violated by the school board for wearing black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War?
That phrase is moot in my opinion. It is one used only to uphold outdated beliefs…
I believe the school board is able to get away with this because Prom is a privilege and not a right for the students, though. And any student is allowed to hold a private Prom at his own expense.<br>
It’s just a shame, is all. :/</p>
<p>And there’s a thread in which there is surprise expressed about what culture shock there might be in attending school in the Deep South @@.</p>
<p>It’s really unfortunate. </p>
<p>My d. went to a very gay-friendly high school – and she attended the prom all four years. My d. is heterosexual - -year #1 she went to the prom with a gay male; year #2 she went with a female friend; and years #3 & #4 she went with her boyfriend. </p>
<p>I am sharing this because the “prom date” part doesn’t have to be connected to sexual orientation. Obviously neither my daughter nor her gay male friend changed their orientation to attend the prom – they just went together and had fun. The gay male could have invited another guy (again, the school was very gay-friendly), but he didn’t have a boyfriend at the time. I have no idea whether the girl who went to the prom with my daughter in year #2 was gay or straight – it wouldn’t have even occurred to me to ask – I just knew that my daughter wanted to attend the prom, and found a friend to go with. (Prom tickets were sold in pairs only to juniors & seniors, so in years #1 & #2, attending alone would not have been an option for my daughter - she needed to go with a junior or senior friend).</p>
<p>Back when I was in high school there was a lot of angst over the whole “prom date” thing, and my son’s prom-going also seemed to be an occasion for anxiety and confusion, as he did not have a girlfriend but went the traditional route of finding a date. But it can be an anxious time for both the asker and the askee when it comes to dating for the prom – the kid doing the asking has to decide who to ask and overcome fear of rejection, the kid waiting to being asked has all the anxiety of waiting. My son ended up waiting to the last minute and then ended up with 2 prom dates (the “official” date and then the girl who was invited to come along because she didn’t have a date). </p>
<p>But there was none of that with my daughter, since it was perfectly normal and acceptable for 2 guys or 2 girls to come together to the prom. And, given that, it means that heterosexual kids who were unattached or not quite ready for the whole dating thing could go along with their best friends. I’d note that several years later, my daughter’s gay male friend was recruited to be the prom date for a female friend who attended a different high school and did not have a date – while I suppose gay males are useful escorts for the dateless, I think that everyone would be happier if students could simply invite who they want - as a prom partner or a prom buddy. (It really doesn’t have to be a “date” or involve romance – again, that’s just an opportunity for greater angst and heartache among the unattached).</p>
<p>I would caution against putting everybody from the “Deep South” into the same box. (Post #26)</p>
<p>Bigotry, intolerance, bias know NO geographical boundaries. We all know Southerners who are very open-minded and tolerant, who are embarrassed by this and the stereotypical reputation this situation underscores. We also know people from northern states who are just the opposite. We ALL have work to do!</p>
<p>I agree with much of the outrage expressed here.</p>
<p>I sympathize with the couple as well as the students and teachers who are consequently being associated with the school board’s decision.</p>
<p>lol, the high school took down their website because I think the nationwide calling got to them.</p>
<p>(p.s. if you want to get involved just PM me! I know all the contact details.)</p>
<p>^I’m not sure what you expect calling the high school or e-mailing them will do. None of the people you will contact have anything to do with the school board’s decision</p>
<p>pressure on all fronts, pressure on all fronts</p>
<p>But yeah, it’s not just at the high school level, but the county school district level, superintendent’s office, etc. Call them at home, call their spouse’s work, etc. let them know AMERICA IS PAYING ATTENTION</p>
<p>Let Mississippi see a fb campaign the likes it has never seen before. For those responsible, we need to inundate every second of their lives with the consequences of their decision.</p>
<p>[Mississippi</a> school sued for canceling prom over lesbian student - CNN.com](<a href=“http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/03/11/mississippi.prom.suit/index.html]Mississippi”>Mississippi school sued for canceling prom over lesbian student - CNN.com)</p>
<p>from the above link:</p>
<p>The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, alleges that officials at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Mississippi, are violating the student’s First Amendment right to freedom of expression.
The ACLU asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to reinstate the prom.
“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 the student, 18-year-old Constance McMillen, in an ACLU news release. “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.”</p>
<p>@evolution: I understand where you’re coming from. And I agree with you, but only to the extent that you pressure those who are actually involved with the decision. Bombarding the school’s faculty with phone calls and e-mails really isn’t fair.</p>
<p>You mean, the principal and assistant principal really don’t have any say or recommendation in the process? Or the teachers who originally in charge of organising the prom?</p>
<p>^The principal and vice principal would be the only ones. The teachers’ organization only goes as far as decorating. But my bet is that you wouldn’t even be contacting them, but rather secretaries who also don’t deserve to listen to rants not intended for them.</p>
<p>From what I know, teachers in charge usually have many responsibilities and quite a bit of power over what goes on. Calling doesn’t necessarily have to be hostile; it can be sympathetic (if you detect they are sympathetic). Don’t worry, their offices are probably closed right now. But their home lines are probably open right now. Let their phone lines ring while they are having dinner. Let the school board officials’ children ask their parents, “Mommy/Daddy, why do people keep calling us? What have we done?”</p>
<p>btw, the appropriate fb groups are 300-400 strong, if you check them out. don’t just stand here doing nothing on CC – you can call! you can fax! if one line is busy, call another appropriate official! Let them feel overwhelming pressure!</p>
<p>I e-mailed the Board this morning care of the Superintendent- it was the only e-mail address I could find. I did not rant or rave but very clearly detailed why this is so wrong! I added that if the girl suffers some physical injury as a result of angry students or parents in the community, the school will have her welfare hanging over them. I also added how poorly this portrays the community as people will assume the Boards decision reflects how the community feels. E-mail address from their web-site is:<br>
<a href="mailto:tmcneece@itawamba.k12.ms.us">tmcneece@itawamba.k12.ms.us</a>. I know some of you have questioned how effective an e-mail is but it certainly can’t hurt.</p>
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<p>You’re right. Virginia is not in the deep south yet managed to elect bigots as Governor and Attorney General. </p>
<p>I joined one of the several Facebook pages that have been created.</p>