Printer-friendly versionBy now, most people have heard about Constance McMillen. Last week, her school in Fulton, Miss., cancelled its prom because Constance wanted to bring her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo. The American Civil Liberties Union has taken up Constance’s cause. So have a bunch of celebrities. Today, for instance, Constance will tell her story on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
That will be followed Monday by a court hearing on the April 2 prom. The ACLU has asked for a preliminary injunction to stop the school district from canceling. Right now, the school has basically handed the prom over to parent groups. They are planning a private banquet for juniors and seniors—one that could easily refuse Constance and her date.
People across the country have condemned the Itawamba County School District for its stand. The main question now is how ungracefully the school district will take its near-certain defeat. Will it go all-in on the side of intolerance, lose in the courts and remain a laughingstock? Or will it back off and let two girls have a good time at their school’s biggest party?
Perhaps the school district could use a nudge in the right direction from America's teachers. If your students or Gay-Straight Alliance members want to write to the school board, send emails to the addresses listed here. (By the way, you can also reach Constance here.) Tell them what's on your mind. Let’s make this prom memorable for all the right reasons.
Comments
Education is supposed to
Education is supposed to edify the student. Approval of deviant sexual behavior is not edifying. Tolerance of the behavior is not helpful. If a person ties up their identity in their behavior, then they have bound themselves to identify with public perception of the behavior. Let those who struggle with sexual identity understand that their rejection of homosexuality will free them from that bondage; and quit subjecting them to the idea that they can be free and slave at the same time! The people who promote tolerance should tolerate their share of the blame for the struggles these kids go through! Why tolerate something so destructive? The public will always have some sense of what is right and what is wrong, and there's nothing any movement or ideology can do about that. There will always be a remnant of sanity! Semper fidelis: look up the root of fidelity. Fide - faith! Faith not in people, but ulitmate truth.
If we allow institutions
If we allow institutions perpetuate hatred against people, we teach our children that anyone outside of the "norm" may be treated as less than a person. Good for Constance for sticking up for all the others who may follow her!
I don't find your
I don't find your narrow-mindedness and determination to force your prejudiced agenda onto everyone edifying.
I feel like we need to take a
I feel like we need to take a look at our self and think it over before we just answer. So for each and everyone of our children we want whats right and best for our children but it don't always seem to go our way. I think it should be left up to the kids to decide weather or not they would be confortable with it. That alot of our problem we block our children opion out so we never know what they may think. So let's just put ourselves in these shoes.
I would like to point out
I would like to point out that everyone's truth is different. Forcing anyone's opinion on what is the truth is really pointless. Life is such a personal thing that we shouldn't judge it, even if we disagree with or disapprove of how people experience their existence. Whatever your belief system, agenda or opinion is, people should be able to live their lives the way they want to...whatever happended to freedom and equality for all? Apparently that changed when people decided to be offended by other people's freedoms.
You wrote: "The people who
You wrote: "The people who promote tolerance should tolerate their share of the blame for the struggles these kids go through!" I say: "Perhaps people who label people different than them as deviant are to blame for the way these chidlren are being treated." I bet if you replaced the topic in your writing from sexuality to slavery, I'm sure it would have sounded convincing to people who thought the same way then as slave holders thought.
Well said, Jaime!
Well said, Jaime!
I believe that the American
I believe that the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Pediatrics, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Child Welfare League of America have all agreed that homosexuality, or any sexual orientation outside of heternormativity, is not a choice nor is it a disorder, deviance, or illness. So your point is moot.
All I would like to ask is
All I would like to ask is something that's curious to me. Why are you on a site called Teaching Tolerance if you don't wish to do just that. :)
The people who promote
The people who promote tolerance should tolerate their share of the blame for the struggles these kids go through!
How does working to provide
How does working to provide space for people who are persecuted by a clumsy majority deserve your "blame" Mark? Are you actually arguing for us all to be less tolerant? Anybody miss the fifties? Go ahead everybody raise your hands. I really hope you're not sitting at the front of a classroom. If you're looking for reasons to promote openess, or tolerance, I have one word for you. Suicide. These kids are killin themselves becuase so Called Christians are threatening them with that "lake of fire" nonsense and very real social ostracism. [FYI: here I'm invoking Heather Alsup's "ulitmate truth."](yeah Heather some of us can read the code too.) :-(
A. That's not what your "Risen" God said.
B. I have no fear for his, or your vengence.
Teaching Tolerance is about communicating and providing space for human expression. Go spout that homophobic nonsense on some more like mided website...I'm thinking Stormfront.