Today is the last day of Women’s History Month. As mentioned yesterday, the theme of the National Women’s History Project is “Writing Women Back into History.” This blog is Part 2 about women’s issues that I would like to see become part of history and NOT a present-day occurrence.
On 11/03/09 I wrote about a high school student named Ceara who wanted to wear a tux in her senior class photo as opposed to a dress. Typically, boys wear a tux and girls wear a dress. SO WHAT if someone wants to do it the other way around. How in any way, size, shape, or form does what a student wears in a photo affect anybody or anything? It doesn’t. Will the U.S. fall into the Ocean of Abyss and disappear? Will the Earth stop turning? Will the sun be extinguished? No, but prejudice and oppression will shine brighter if we if allow such stupid rules to exist about who wears what based on gender and sexual preference.
Do we not have bigger fish to fry in America?
As a matter of fact we do. That’s why an article in USA Today last week really bugged me. Again, we are back in high school and a student named Constance asked to bring her girlfriend to the prom (as her date) and also wear the dreaded tuxedo. She was denied her request. She rightly brought suit. (Many times social changes require an unbiased legal ruling.)
The school decided to cancel the prom than allow to this same-sex dating ’travesty’ to happen. From USA Today:
District officials said in court papers they felt not hosting the prom was the best decision “after taking into consideration the education, safety, and well-being of our students.”
Ai Yi Yi. Talk about small-mindedness. That was a lesson in ignorance, intolerance, bigotry, and exclusion—none of which make for a quality education.
The judge ruled that school board violated Constance’s rights by canceling the prom, but declined to make the school reinstate it (which was to be held on April 2nd).
In lieu of this judicial ruling, there were two impromptu proms being planned that Constance might be attending with her girlfriend. I hope she goes, looks fabulous in her tux, and has a great time!
P.S. Maybe by Women’s History Month next year, there will be no more stories about women (and men, too) being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.
