Girl Sues for Right to Wear Tux to Prom

Girl Sues for Right to Wear Tux to Prom

www.fox59.com

A Lebanon High School senior is suing the school district over her right to wear a tuxedo instead of a dress. The ACLU says the school's dress code violates that student's first amendment rights.

"She is a lesbian. Her sexual preference is well known at the school and in order to express herself, she wants not not to wear a prom dress, but she wants to wear a tux," said ACLU attorney, Ken Falk.

Problem is, the principal won't let her. And now the 17-year-old has contacted the ACLU...

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I found the school district attorney's quote quite interesting.

"It caught me a little bit by surprise," said attorney Kent Frandsen.

One of the difficulties for me is if we allow this young lady to wear a tuxedo, can we prevent young men from wearing dresses? How do we know when a student wants to do this because of a sincerely held viewpoint as opposed to just wanting to be disruptive or do it as a lark? We don't want our prom to look like a circus," said Frandsen.

So what do you think? Should she be allowed to express her preference and wear a tux? Is this homophobia?


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Nope, like it says, how will they regulate people cross dressing just to get a high five from their buddies.

Just because she is gay doesn't mean wearing a dress will make her any less gay.

reply to post by DancedWithWolves


ACLU doesn't give a damn about our rights. They care about liberal activism. They are totally political and the fact that they took this case but completely ignored the fact that the family in New Hampshire had 12 horses stolen is ridiculous. I mean not being allowed to wear a tuxedo vs. your property getting stolen by government thugs. What is worse?

Schools do have dress codes and frankly I don't care. Its just irrelevant. If they were to actually punish her for wearing a tux then you'd have a problem. But not allowing her to prom I just don't care about. They shouldn't be wasting tax money on parties in the first place.

Recently a student was actually placed in in-school suspension for not wearing a belt. That is a lot more significant than this over-exposed story and yet didn't get any attention at all except for the kid who posted about it on an internet forum.

These adults need to grow up and start treating these students as adults....well that sounds interesting

It isn't homophobia as much as it is school officials' desire and need to micromanage and control every aspect of a students life to the smallest degree. How would the teachers like it if the students voted to ban a particular haircut or style of clothes? It's a double standard.

A person should be allowed to wear a dress or a tux, period. Are the school officials going to personally perform a physical exam on each student to ensure they have the right junk? Wait...they'd probably like to do that regardless. If a person looks like a male, but has female parts, then what do you do? or vice versa. That stuff does happen. Leave it to the people what they want to wear.

The attorney is a moron. There is no need to know if the student wants to wear a tux or dress because of a "sincerely held viewpoint" or "just" wanting to be disruptive or as a lark. "we don't want our prom...." well it isn't your prom, its the students who pay $$ to get in who owns the prom. After going through probably a crappy HS for 4 years, you have the right to wear what you want to a prom.

It should be said that schools have gotten sued over not protecting boys/men from harrassment when they come to school wearing dresses. I'm surprised these schools aren't a little more aware of these things.

[edit on 12-3-2009 by ghaleon12]

Originally posted by jd140
Nope, like it says, how will they regulate people cross dressing just to get a high five from their buddies.

Oh noes! They might ruin the great American tradition known as prom.

The dress code should read Tux or Dress. As long as it's formal who cares? If someone is really going to cross-dress just to be an ass it'll be pretty obvious once they get there, and there will probably be other disruptions they can be removed for.

Let her wear it!!! lol, me and my friend wanted to do this, not cause i'm a lesbian, but cause we thought it would be fun, we weren't allowed... at least this chick has a reason.

Cherry

We preach the rights to bear arms dont we? We preach the right the speak out our views dont we? Why dont we preach the constitution for all people for once.. instead of just our ideological beliefs?

I dont see anywhere in the constitution where it forbids americans from cross dress... even though it may have been more frowned upon back in those days... so why cant she have her rights? I know which individuals here love to rap around the constitution when it suits their arguments... I sure hope though they prove they care about constitutional rights for all...

Is this a private school? If its not then I stand by the above.

Southern Guardian is right.

That is what our Constitution is about....this isn't hurting anyone else's rights by doing this....and that's all that matters.

You can't have it one way and not the other.

This country was built to be tolerant of others....sadly people always stray from it due to their own personal bias on how the world should work.

reply to post by Southern Guardian


That's a good question. This is a public high school. Lebanon Community Schools in Indiana

You will note, however, that this story hasn't made the district's news release page yet - I bet odds are it never will.

Peace.

If the school thinks it will invite idiots to cross dress just to be morons and cause a scene then I have to go with them. I don't know anything about this girl or her school. So I don't know what their reasoning is.


I'm all for chicks wearing tuxedo's. Some look very sexy in them. Its a judgement call on their part. I'm not there to say whats what in this particular situation.

Good for her.

She should be able to dress how she wants.

And not just because she is a lesbian.

People are forced into rigid rules of dress to help oppress them.

Her winning this case will benefit all Americans.

So a guy can come into school with pants sagging and trying to look like the newest rapper on MTV, a chick can come in with a pretty short skirt and tank top, but god forbid a chick wear a TUX to prom.

Right, hows that method of logic working for you society?

That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.

I don't see how people dressing in any formal way they see fit as infringing on anyone else's rights. Let the girl wear her tux, and the men their dresses. It's their prom, not yours.

They should let this gal wear what sHE wants. What harm will it do.

I doubt any gay guys there would wear dresses, but they might put on lipstick or perfume and ear rings, maybe a necklace or two. But even if they were to wear a dress...who cares?

Live and let live....and wear what they want.

I would be more concerned about the students wearing long trenchcoats that might be hiding drugs or weapons in them than some lesbian wanting to wear a tux!!


Cheers!!!!

I don't see how people dressing in any formal way they see fit as infringing on anyone else's rights. Let the girl wear her tux, and the men their dresses. It's their prom, not yours.

The school is providing the dance, correct?
As such, they are allowed to lay out restrictions on dress code.

Yes, the kids are going there to have a good time, but they are doing so under the auspices of the school.

reply to post by RuneSpider


A dance they paid for! It's 60 dollars or MORE per ticket per attending student. None of that money came from the school's federal funding.

Originally posted by sadisticwoman
reply to post by RuneSpider

 

A dance they paid for! It's 60 dollars or MORE per ticket per attending student. None of that money came from the school's federal funding.

60 dollars?!?!?!

That is an awful lot of money for a dance. How do you know it is so much?

reply to post by sadisticwoman


If you attend a concert, attend a ball game, or book passage on a ship, you are bound by any rules they may enforce.


If you go to prom, you are paying to go to a dance provided by the school.

Originally posted by RuneSpider
reply to post by sadisticwoman

 

If you attend a concert, attend a ball game, or book passage on a ship, you are bound by any rules they may enforce.


If you go to prom, you are paying to go to a dance provided by the school.

You do have a point.

Just because you pay doesn't mean you can do or wear what you want.


Thank god people don't enforce public nudity at rock concerts. Girls flashing is half the fun.