Another Gay prom date allowed

[Hathaway Browne]

http://www.macon.com/2010/03/22/1068767/bleckley-school-officials-allowing.html#ixzz0j0TscdIt

Just stumbled across this. Great news to hear they've been allowed to attend.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

That's how it should be, "...students are allowed to bring a date." No need to specify gender of the date.

Seriously, it's NOT just gay kids who want to go with someone of their own gender for heaven's sake!

I'm glad that this prom didn't get canceled, but I do find the whole concept way too heterosexual for me (personally).

If a kid wants to go with a date, then go s/he should!

 

[Kara1392]

I'm so excited to announce that my girlfriend and I will be attending prom this year, as a couple. My school is going to allow it, and I know there is not another person in the world I'd rather spend my senior prom with than her. I think we are one of the first openly gay couples to attend prom together from my school, and that makes me really proud. On top of that, I got nominated for most likely to change the world, so we'll see if I end up taking that title come prom night, April 10th! Gah, so excited, and I feel this is big step forward for the gay community in my area.

 

[mickeysaver]

You have no idea how shocked that I am in reading this. This is just a stone's throw away from where my Dad lives and where I went to high school. Our sports teams usually hated to play their teams because they were tough. This is serious redneck and Bubba country that we are talking about too. Given the fact that there is so much homophobia still in that area, I am just really at a loss for words at just how surprisingly wonderful this news is.

I was the first openly gay person to attend a class reunion with a same sex partner about 15 years ago, there were other gays and lesbians there, either stag or with a beard. God knows it had tongues wagging. To give you an example of how far away the news spread and how fast, the Monday after the Saturday reunion, I got a call from a friend that I met in college and hadn't spoken with in about 3 years at that point who worked 150 miles away from where reunion was held. She called to tell me that I was infamous because I had shown up at the reunion. I asked how she even knew that I had gone and she said that the phone lines had been burning up all weekend with the news and that several people had told her. I didn't even know that my friend knew anyone from my hometown, but it spread from person to person to person and made it's way to her.

I am so happy that things are changing.

 

[Sphyrna]

Gratz!! Hope you enjoy your special night!

 

[faumann2008]

Glad to see things our changing. Shocked that it's the south. Nothing bad about the south but from what I've seen down here in Florida there's not the nicest people when it comes to gay and the prom. Then again I went to a Catholic high school FLCHS. We had a lot of gays in the closet at our school but none were allowed to bring same-sex dates, my friends tried but they were broken up a couple times by our teachers. Glad to see things are changing for some people and hope it spreads around the country.

 

[mickeysaver]

I stumbled upon the same story on the WMAZ website http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=76651 and their comments section is filled with some of the most intolerant garbage in relation to this young man's story. Things may be changing, but not quickly enough. Really, I kind of fear for this kid's safety, not so much from the other kids, but from the bigotted adults.

ETA: The story that they issued today on the young man says that his parents have kicked him out of the house and he is now living with a friend. http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local_story.aspx?storyid=76707

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

One step forward, two steps back.

DS's high school has a GSA. While I hope he will join, I am probably more excited about it than he is! I would love to be able to be involved by arranging events, speakers, etc. for the group, handling e-mail communications, that sort of thing. We'll see. Hopefully they will want my help! If the school has a "traditional" prom I haven't run across any info about it. And since I am kind of an information addict I tend to think they don't have one.

 

[faumann2008]

I don't get how it's always spun out into a religious debate. Hello. Seperation of church and state. Reminds me of that HRC iphone app where ppl use something good in order to cause evil. I like checking out reviews just to see what people are saying but OMG people are being so harsh. The guy just wants to go to prom.

 

[Hathaway Browne]

Sad to hear he's been kicked out of his home. That's terrible.

Kudos to the guy for sticking with it, and judging from comments above double kudos for even thinking of coming out let alone want to take his boyfriend to prom in such an area.

Power to ya kid!

 

[Hathaway Browne]

Another update - a positive one this time:
http://www.macon.com/2010/03/24/1070478/gay-rights-backers-reach-out-to.html#storylink=omni_popular

Gay-rights supporters from across the country are offering to buy everything from boutonnieres to dinner for a Bleckley County High School senior who was granted permission to take his boyfriend to the prom.

At least two supporters have offered to rent a stretch limo for Derrick Martin and his boyfriend.

 

[Sphyrna]

I'd offer to be his date but it seems he already has one!

Too bad they mention the one guy has set up a link on his site for donations yet they don't include a link to it.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Well the court did uphold the fact that the two young lesbians rights were violated, but cleverly didn't order the school to hold the prom. The judge felt that since the parents put together a private prom, there was no purpose in forcing the school to hold the dance.

The two young lesbians (nor any lesbian, gay, bi, transgendered or queer youth) are not invited of course.

Free Press has some of the most disgusting and filthy comments on this topic that I've ever read anywhere. That people could say those sorts of things about kids makes me ill.