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The Straight Story

(48,121 posts)
Fri Feb 15, 2013, 03:54 PM Feb 2013

Gay teen wins right to attend prom with boyfriend

Gay teen wins right to attend prom with boyfriend

An openly gay Missouri teenager has won the right to attend high school prom with his boyfriend after threatening legal action, the district superintendent said Friday.

Stacy Dawson, a 17-year-old senior at Scott County Central High School in Sikeston, Mo., had been told last year that he couldn't bring his boyfriend due to a line in the school's handbook that said "students will be permitted to invite one guest, girls invite boys and boys invite girls."

When Dawson questioned the policy, he was told by a school administrator that the school board would not consider revising it, according to The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit civil rights organization representing Dawson. So on Thursday -- Valentine's Day -- Dawson had The Southern Poverty Law Center send a letter to Scott County Central High and the school district threatening legal action.

One day later, the district had good news for Dawson: They were removing the offending line from their handbook, and said the line was never meant to be exclusive in the first place.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/15/16975038-gay-teen-wins-right-to-attend-prom-with-boyfriend?lite

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Gay teen wins right to attend prom with boyfriend (Original Post) The Straight Story Feb 2013 OP
K&R !!! K&R !!! K&R !!! K&R !!! K&R !!! RKP5637 Feb 2013 #1
It is a damned shame he had to threaten a lawsuit to get this fixed The Straight Story Feb 2013 #2
yes, but this was conservative Missouri making a step in the right direction Jersey Devil Feb 2013 #3
And we need to celebrate the good duhneece Feb 2013 #10
What some in this society put people through always astounds me. n/t RKP5637 Feb 2013 #7
Yay! HappyMe Feb 2013 #4
K & R Sissyk Feb 2013 #5
Great news Puzzledtraveller Feb 2013 #6
wow. they changed it. Divine Discontent Feb 2013 #8
Excellent! Nt xchrom Feb 2013 #9

The Straight Story

(48,121 posts)
2. It is a damned shame he had to threaten a lawsuit to get this fixed
Fri Feb 15, 2013, 04:31 PM
Feb 2013

Common sense seems to have left the building....

Jersey Devil

(9,874 posts)
3. yes, but this was conservative Missouri making a step in the right direction
Fri Feb 15, 2013, 04:35 PM
Feb 2013

It is happening much too slowly but in the past decade I believe that the acceptance of equal rights has accelerated greatly. 10 years ago this never would have happened.

duhneece

(4,116 posts)
10. And we need to celebrate the good
Fri Feb 15, 2013, 05:52 PM
Feb 2013

Otherwise, we activists will get burned out. This is cause for celebration.

Divine Discontent

(21,056 posts)
8. wow. they changed it.
Fri Feb 15, 2013, 04:47 PM
Feb 2013

good for them and him and his date. I liked the line saying it was never meant to be exclusive. But, the writers of it clearly meant it so, because of saying what each sex could bring. a good victory!

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