Constance McMillen: Lesbian Teen Sent to Fake Prom

First, Constance McMillen, an 18-year-old senior at Itawamba Agricultural High School, in Mississippi wanted to go to her high school prom with her girl friend, and was told they could not attend as a couple. When negotiations with the school broke down, Ms. McMillen turned to the ACULU, who sued on her behalf. As the ACLU put it:

The ACLU wants Itawamba County School District officials in Fulton, Mississippi to reverse their decision to forbid a lesbian student from attending prom with her girlfriend and from wearing a tuxedo to the prom. Constance McMillen, a student at Itawamba Agricultural High School, came to the ACLU for help after school officials told her that she could not come to prom with her girlfriend, also a student at IAHS, and that if they arrived separately but slow-danced together they might be thrown out. In response to a letter demanding that the school allow Constance to attend prom with her girlfriend, the school board issued a statement saying that they were canceling prom for all students.

McMillen was told she and her girlfriend couldn't attend as a couple, they couldn't dance together, and she couldn't wear a tuxedo. (Despite the fact that hundreds of other same-sex couples managed to attend their high school prom at other high schools, without causing public orgies, or rioting cats and dogs). The story got picked up by all sorts of media outlets; Constance even appeared on network news programs, and as a guest on Ellen DeGeneres' show.

A federal judge has ruled in the case brought by the ACLU that McMillen's rights were violated by the school's decision. He also ruled that the replacement prom hosted privately can also go ahead after its organisers promised to open it to all students, including McMillen.

Sounds great, right? Not so fast.

It was a ploy; they didn't invite McMillen to the real prom. Parents, students, and presumably, school staff, colluded and sent Constance McMillen, her date, and five other students to a decoy prom. Conspirators, including parents, sent the seven students to a decoy prom on Friday night at a Fulton, Mississippi country club. The Itawamba High School principal and teachers served as chaperones for the seven students. Two of the students were learning disabled students, who were also deliberately lied to. McMillen notes that their inclusion was the single bright spot of the evening:

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]."

There's an interesting post here from a Mississippi attorney on the legal issues. I note that a little Facebook sleuthing produces lots of images of teens at the other prom. No, I'm not posting links: they are bigoted heteronormative ass-hats, but they're also minors. I do want to note that apparently, the U.S. has a long history of decoy proms.