Brody's Notes... Author Dan Savage & Ellen DeGeneres Join National Outrage Over Canceled Prom

By Brody Levesque (Bethesda, Maryland) Mar 13 | Prominent Gay author & activist Dan Savage, as well as television personality Ellen Degeneres, have joined a growing national outrage over the decision by Fulton Mississippi's Itawamba County School Board to cancel the scheduled April 2nd Itawamba Agricultural High School Senior Prom. This decision was in response to a young Lesbian's, Constance McMillen, request to bring her girlfriend as her date to that prom.

Dan Savage  Photo By The Salt Lake City Tribune  
In an article published in his column, Savage Love, on Seattle's 'The Stranger' news website, Dan Savage stated;
"...This is about more than Constance, this is about more than just the bigots on the Itawamba County school board. This is about vulnerable LGBT high school and middle school students all over the country. While more and more LGBT students enjoy the support of their families and friends, LGBT students still face harassment from their peers and hostility from school administrators. And the harassment doesn't just impact the lives of openly gay students. Closeted gay students, who may be more isolated, witness discrimination against openly gay students and are made to feel fearful. By coming down on the Itawamba County School system—and by coming down on them hard—we're not just sending a message to the bigots running a high school in a corner of Mississippi. We're sending a message to school boards and superintendents and principals all over the country: you will pay a price if you discriminate against or encourage other students to retaliate against LGBT youth."

Thursday on her show, Ellen Degeneres announced her support for the young high schooler caught up in the controversy, Constance McMillen. Ellen, who has approximately 4.3 million followers on Twitter, tweeted Constance's story as well as asked her audience to assist in the effort to get the Itawamba school board to reverse its decision.

According to Mississippi's Clarionledger.com, the school board's decision to cancel the high school prom rather than allow same-sex dates has attracted national attention and evoked reaction across the political spectrum. Offers of support have flooded in from across the U. S. as news of the board's decision spread across the nation. Matthew Sheffield of the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition said his office was flooded by people looking to help. 

"We have so many people willing to donate money, resources, time," he said. "We are trying to figure out what we are going to do." 

Among those offering assistance is New Orleans hotel owner Sean Cummings, who offered to transport the students by bus from the northeast Mississippi city and host the prom at one his properties free of charge. 

Film director Paul Saltzman offered to provide a screening of his movie Prom Night in Mississippi as part of the entertainment at a private prom for the students. The documentary, shot in 2008, is about the first racially integrated prom at Charleston High School in north Mississippi.

Savage also reported that;

"Her Facebook page—"Let Constance Take Her Girlfriend to Prom"—is on track to have 100,000 members before the end of the day. Constance posted a touching video to her page earlier today thanking everyone who has rallied to her side."

Savage also noted that the prom controversy has also galvanised efforts by LGBT equality rights activists to get public support for Colorado Congressman Jared Polis's Student Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 4530), which would ban discrimination against LGBT students.

Local reaction in Fulton has been mixed.

"It's just a sad situation. I feel sorry for the children who ain't going to get to have their prom," said Diane Roberts, a hair stylist in Fulton. Roberts said the school board's decision has placed the entire city of about 4,000 in a negative light."It's a small town and we have wonderful people here, don't get me wrong. But there are some people on the board who think they are the last word," she said. "You can't judge people like that. That's between them and their good lord."

Fulton Mayor Paul Walker told The Associated Press he supports the school board's decision.

"I think the community as a whole is probably in support of the school district," he said.

Jennifer Chamblee, who lives in nearby Guntown, sides with the school board. 

"What about the rights of the other students that do not share her lifestyle or the way that she wants to live it?" she said. "If you don't agree with it, stay away from it."

Mississippi ACLU legal director Kristy Bennett said the offers to fund a private prom are "fantastic," but do not affect the legal fight. 

"It doesn't change our position that the school needs to reinstate its prom and allow Constance to attend," she said.

The ACLU has filed a Federal lawsuit to force the school board to reinstate the prom and allow Constance to attend.