Atheist group offers to hold gay-friendly prom

[Ian David]

Recently, 18-year-old Constance McMillen has become the target of discrimination. She intended to go to her prom dressed in a tuxedo with her girlfriend as her date. The very religious school officials consider same-gender relations to be a sin and as such Superintendent Teresa McNeece told McMillen that she could not come with her female date. If they showed up they would be “ejected.”

McMillen contacted her local ACLU who notified the school that this kind of discrimination was unconstitutional and would be met with a lawsuit. The Itawamba County Agricultural High School in Mississippi in which McMillen attends, decided that it was better to cancel the entire prom for everyone rather than allow Constance to bring her girlfriend to the dance.

The school district however stated that they hoped that private citizens in the community would organize a dance. A private dance would be legally allowed to invite or in this case not invite who ever they choose. Presumably the school seemed to think that a Church or other religious organization would hold a dance which would exclude Constance and her girlfriend.

What they probably did not expect was that The American Humanist Association (AHA) would be the private group who would step in to organize the dance. Thanks to a $20,000 donation, the AHA is making preparations for an LGBT-inclusive dance. No discrimination, everyone is allowed to have fun.


Constance McMillen Couresy of thinkprogress.org

More:
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-8928-Philadelphia-Atheism-Examiner~y2010m3d12-Atheist-group-offers-to-hold-gay-friendly-prom?cid=sharing_twitter:8928

See prior thread:

Prom canceled after lesbian submits a date request
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x157354

[el_bryanto]

1. That is nice to hear - I read that story yesterday and thought i was pretty awful.

That's a nice way to turn it around.

Bryant

[onehandle]

2. I'd go with the New Orleans hotel offer if I was them.

Sounds like more fun and frankly, the 'Atheist group' part might bar other kids from attending by closed minded parents.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4304192

[Ian David]

4. Will the hotel allow the lesbian couple? n/t

[Toasterlad]

11. Yes, the Invitation Was For EVERYONE.

[misanthrope]

3. Oh, those godless secular humanists...

...with their lack of ethics and morals from not having a supernatural being to threaten them. We all know it can't be true compassion if it doesn't have anything to do with Jay-zus. :eyes:

[Echo In Light]

5. k/r

[Shell Beau]

6. Unfortunately this will go over worse than the lesbian couple being at prom.

[el_bryanto]

7. It might but I think it's still worth doing.

Obviously some Church will set up a "holy prom" and most of the kids will be sent to that one, unfortunately. But at least an option will be provided.

Bryant

[Ian David]

9. Let the fundies spend their money on throwing a big party instead of the usual crap they do with it.

[TexasObserver]

8. Recommend

[Zoeisright]

10. Yep - that's atheists. Kind and giving.

And I'm dead serious. Most, if not all, of the 'Christians' I have been unfortunate to know have been mean, bigoted, cruel, judgmental, and selfish. And I went to parochial school from 6th grade through college.

[Initech]

12. That schoolboard is dumb for cancelling the prom to begin with.