Gay Teen Denied Prom Date Returns to School

A brave teenager in Jackson, Miss. is gaining national attention after her school district voted to cancel senior prom rather than allow her to don a tuxedo and bring a same-sex date.

The teen, 18-year-old Constance McMillen, told The Associated Press that she didn't want to go to school Thursday, but that her father urged her to stay strong.

"My daddy told me that I needed to show them that I'm still proud of who I am," McMillen told the AP in a telephone interview. "The fact that this will help people later on, that's what's helping me to go on."

The district announced on Wednesday that it was canceling the annual prom on April 2. The decision came after the American Civil Liberties Union told officials a policy banning same-sex prom dates violated students' rights. The ACLU was reacting to a Feb. 5 memo sent to students informing students that prom dates must be of the opposite sex.

According to the AP, the school board issued a statement announcing it was canceling the prom, "due to the distractions to the educational process caused by recent events." The statement made no mention of McMillen or the ACLU. But the school district says they hope a privately sponsored prom would be held; McMillen says she's sure she'll be excluded.

In the meantime, support groups are popping up on social networking sites like Facebook, where the biggest fan page has almost 1,600 members. But not everyone is being supportive of McMillen. The teen told the AP that some students blame her for the canceling of the prom.

"Somebody said, 'Thanks for ruining my senior year.'" McMillen told the AP.

If you'd like to weigh in on the issue, send an email to Itawamba County School District Superintendent Teresa McNeece at tmcneece@itawamba.k12.ms.us.

Photo courtesy of Facebook.