Prom Night (Update)
UPDATE: Lebanon School officials have released a statement saying they will allow the 17-year old lesbian student to wear a tuxedo to the prom. “School policy for this year’s prom will be that all attendees shall wear appropriate formal attire with no gender-based attire requirements imposed. Female students will be permitted to wear tuxedos if they chose,” the release stated. Translation: This is not worth the hassle. She can wear the tux.
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There’s an interesting situation going on in Lebanon schools. A 17-year old Boone County girl is suing the school district because she is a lesbian and wants to wear a tuxedo to prom. School officials told her she would have to wear a dress.
The girl, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, is suing on the grounds that the rules violate the Constitution and Title IX. She says wearing a dress forces her to express a sexual identity she does not identify with.
School officials say no one have ever challenged the prom dress code in this manner so they are exploring their options.
This is another one of those situations where I don’t see where the opposition is coming from. Everyone in the school knows the girl’s sexual orientation and there is nothing to show that she is doing this to be annoying. You usually only get to go to prom once, make the most of it.
Your thoughts.
March 13th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Hey it’s Lebanon isn’t that part of KY? :)
March 13th, 2009 at 7:22 am
I don’t really get how wearing a tux is synonymous with being a lesbian. Maybe she could have prefaced her argument with a different reason. There are plenty of lesbians who don;t dress like dudes. My other thought is that I hope she is mature enough to handle any adverse reactions *if there are any*. That said, I would like to see the school also crack down on females who look like straight up tricks while sporting revealing “dresses”.
March 13th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Seriously, who needs I-STEP when our schools peddle this crap?
March 13th, 2009 at 7:37 am
The SCOTUS has already stated in one way or another that once you set foot on school property your rights, be them as they may, are limited. This is just another person with an agenda behind them looking for their 15 minutes.
March 13th, 2009 at 8:44 am
Schools have a duty to instill character education and community standards as part of the educational process of learning how to live…permitting an immoral “advertisement” at a formal event is contrary to that mission.
Likewise, the prom is not a required event for graduation. The school should be allowed to establish any dress code it sees fit for this after school event. Those who chose not to adhere to the dress code have the option of not attending without penalty. Those who choose may express their immoral message by going to another location of their choice, having dinner while dressed in the manner consistent with the dress code of the dining establishment, and attending another event. Last I checked my copy of the constitution, it didn’t mention the prom.
Suing is frivilous and a waste of the court’s time. The issue itself is no more different than someone suing to wear a jacket to a formal event with a message promoting beastiality, illegal drugs, rape, etc. This event is not a costume party, and the dress code that is consistent with community standards should stand.
March 13th, 2009 at 9:02 am
If she didn’t have an agenda (who is behind her?) why would this even be discussed. In my prior life as a young person who was bucking the system I would have just showed up dressed as I pleased and suffered the consequences of being told to leave. Nowadays when these things are brought out prior with much fanfare it indicates she has already been contacted and is being used by those with an agenda to advance which is slowly eroding our system.
March 13th, 2009 at 9:17 am
streetfighter: Absolutely! She should have just showed up in the tux, done her thing, and left.
March 13th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Women wanting to dress like men, men wanting to dress like women. Then you ask where is America heading? Not only that but you are being forced to except thier behavior.
March 13th, 2009 at 9:40 am
When you use public facilities like schools, their non-discrimonatory printed policies have to be followed in a non-discrimnatory manner. Because they were built with public funds. That’s what the SCOTUS has said, over and over–as well as the Indiana Supremes.
The policy ought to be: wear whatever you want, but the schools have the right to monitor taste. Anji is right: some of the prom dresses I’ve seen belong at Brad’s Gold Club, not in a school.
I’m sorta lost on the whole lesbian thing…do lesbians wear tuxes? Seriously, I don’t know. If that’s the premise of this challenge, it’s silly. I don’t care if lesbians or homosexuals or atheists attend the prom, if they dress appropriately and behave.
Proper decorum soas not to detract from the festivities, regardless of agenda.
That should be the policy.
March 13th, 2009 at 9:40 am
A little short sighted to believe that this is even a recent phenomenom.
March 13th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Just abolish prom. Just another excuse for high school kids to get drunk and laid.
March 13th, 2009 at 11:04 am
The idea is to mock the event, similar to the idea behind gay marriage.
March 13th, 2009 at 11:21 am
It is chic when women wear a tux. Our schools should have better things to worry about than cut and fabric!
March 13th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Abdul you still are not toeing the party line. Everyone knows that allowing a female to dress as a male is a blatant promotion of homosexuality, which we all understand to be a sin. Just think of all the (hetero) marriages this type of thing will threaten. How many other young people will see this as an endorsement of queerity and make the decision to become gay themselves?
This sort of thing will undermine the very fabric of our society and the utter chaos which will inevitably result can only play into the Liberal’s agenda of destroying America. Your support of the Homosexual Movement will permit them to force us into complying with their depraved vision of society wherein gays have full civil rights. This cannot be tolerated.
The Republican party is in danger of falling apart because of “free-thinkers” such as yourself. Any more of this type of non-sense from you and we’ll have to revoke your American Flag lapel pin as you appear to be a Communist, or worse yet, a Euro-Socialist. Also it has been noted that you do not spew enough hatred and venom. I suggest you confer with Coulter for assistance in this area.
March 13th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
i wonder what her parents are thinking, wear the dress or stay home
March 13th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
What happened to following the rules? If she doesn’t want to follow the rules, don’t go.
March 13th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
It looks like it’s time for society to catch up with reality. I recommend that from this point forward, anatomy, looks, names, and birth records be ignored for all kids when they enter high school. At that point in life they must fill out a form declaring their “gender identity”. This will become a legal document that grants them access to the correct bathrooms, lockers, form of attire (pants v. dresses) etc.
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It’s time to look forward as a progressive, open-minded society. The conventions and societal norms that humanity has exhibited unsuccessfully since the establishment of cummonities has failed us abysmally and we will not thrive, prosper, or conduct ourselves rationally unless we put a stop to 100,000 years of past practices.
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We have two choices – let her wear the dress, or risk the complete and utter collapse of potential for future civilization.
March 13th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
The problem is the idiot parents of this idiot kid support her.
March 13th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Flipper, back off the idiot references. Lest you be provided a mirror.
March 14th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
I’m ashamed at some of the responses here. She should be allowed to wear a tuxedo if she wants to. If she wants to turn this into a gay rights issue that’s her choice, but the school is forcing her to identify with a gender that she doesn’t. That’s not right. Where does open mindedness from “the system” become a factor? She’s not imposing herself on anyone but the school. I think they should let her go in a tux if she wants to.
March 15th, 2009 at 1:39 am
Unfortunately, I think there is some truth to qwerty’s statement: “The idea is to mock the event, similar to the idea behind gay marriage.”
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I tried to mock everything that was about high school when I was there.
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I don’t care what she wears, but do question the way she went about it. Is she going with another lesbian that is wearing a dress, or is she dateless, or what is the deal. Not that it really matters, but inquiring minds want to know, maybe. I agree with others that she should have just shown up in the tux without the threat of lawsuits, and called it a night.
March 16th, 2009 at 11:13 am
My father always told me this country was going to hell in a hand basket. He didn’t know how right he was.