Constance McMillen has a long, challenging spring. The lesbian high school senior just wanted to take her girlfriend to prom, but the district decided that, rather than allow the couple to attend, they would cancel prom. McMillen didn’t give up, she took the school to court. With the help of the ACLU, she got a judge to rule that the school had violated her rights, and after a promise that an already planned private event would be inclusive, the case was settled.
Then parents and school administrators did something so outlandishly far fetched that it is hard to believe. They didn’t just plan one private event, the planned two. One, which the majority of the student body was invited to, was kept carefully secret. The other, which McMillen and about five other kids, including several special needs students, were invited to, ended up with more chaperons than students.
McMillen managed to find something graceful to say to the press, who have stayed on top of the jaw-dropping story. She was happy that her special needs classmates got to have a prom where they were totally accepted and have a great time.
It seemed like McMillen’s grace and poise in the face of unimaginably bad behavior from the people who are supposed to be helping her grow and learn was going to go unrewarded. The last time we updated you on this story, the best there was to hope for was that this remarkable young woman would go on to find a place in the world that would accept her as she is.
Luckily, news travels fast in these internet driven times. Millions of people across the country have decided to stand up for McMillen, including Lance Bass (a Mississippi native), Green Day, the American Humanist Association, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Cat Cora. Thanks to donations from these celebrities, and people like you, a new prom will take place in Tupelo, Mississippi. All of McMillen’s classmates will be invited to this “Second Chance” prom.
“It was important to us that the students at IAHS receive an invitation to our prom. All students are welcomed,” says Matthew Sheffield, Communications Director of the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition.
The event promises a star studded roster of musical guests – basically, it’s going to be the biggest party Itawamba has seen in a long time. We can only hope that McMillen’s classmates will decide to let go of their parent’s prejudices and join the party.
