Posted on 07/30/2009 7:32:23 PM PDT by Maelstorm
Jeremy was refused entry to his high school prom when he arrived in a gown and makeup instead of a tuxedo.
KUAM, Guam’s news network, reports that officials at George Washington High School in Guam refunded the money Jeremy spent for a prom ticket, but are unsympathetic about the $400 he spent on clothing and other items, and will not issue him the apology that he wants for being unable to attend the prom.
Jeremy claims that he was discriminated against when he was denied entry.
“I said, ‘Where does it state in this rule in this paper that there’s no cross-dressing, no individualism and no opposite genders? It doesn't say anything.’ So I have a case right here. And that’s wrong,” he said, as quoted by KUAM.
In an earlier report, Jeremy claims that girls were being allowed into the prom in tuxes, and that he was told that those girls were wearing "female tuxes."
George Washington High School has no policy regarding transgender students (Jeremy has also identified himself as gay), and the principal, Begona Flores, says that she will follow such a policy if it is drafted, but has no intention of initiating a policy because it goes against her beliefs.
Jeremy has apparently dressed in male clothing and expressed his gender as male in school, so school personnel were not unreasonably surprised when he arrived at the prom in a gown.
However, the fact that no policy was in place suggests that Jeremy should have been allowed to attend, and a reasonable policy would accommodate trans students as well as lesbian, gay, and bisexual students.
Dress codes can be a major problem for trans students and for adult trans people in the workplace. While, ideally, a dress code for school or work should not be gender specific, we have not yet reached that place as a society.
But young people are transgressing those gender norms that society has established, and by pushing that envelope, they will eventually cause those necessary changes to be made.
In the meantime, many LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) youth organizations have established their own proms, to allow LGBT youth to bring the date of their choice, to wear the clothing of their choice, and to experience a prom that they can enjoy on their own terms, rather than one that has http://www.examiner.com/x-12237-Transgender-Issues-Examiner~y2009m7d30-Transgender-student-turned-away-from-promestablished around heterosexual partnerships and specific gender norms.
These types of events for youth are important in the development of positive self-esteem and self-worth, internal characteristics that all youth should be equally entitled to possess.
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I guess I’m old school. I can’t think of anything that would f*** up my prom night more than seeing a guy in a dress. Sorry for this outburst of honesty....
And he was right, wasn't he?
Is there a rule against self-mockery for proms? I wasn’t aware of one.
.....will not issue him the apology that he wants for being unable to attend the prom
Why should they apologize just because someone who can’t follow the dress code?
Most ticketed events allow for the venue to kick out a ticket holder provided that the purchase price of the ticket is refunded. In a sane world, a lawsuit would be laughed out of court.
“So I have a case right here.”
That should tell you right there why he did what he did. Wonder how much money he’ll get.
I hope none.
They save dhim from getting his @ss kicked. He should thank them.
Yep. It’s a prom, not a freak show.
Schoolchildren shouldn’t be... oh, wait a minute. That’s proM, not proN. On the other hand...
I wonder how much trial lawyers are getting for “positive self-esteem and self-worth” cases these days?
It’s really sad that the article states that someone is entitled to self-esteem and self-worth. As if someone can give it to you or take it away? I don’t get it.
There was no dress code
Normal women don’t dress this poorly.
There is normally a lot of fine print on concert tickets and the like that effectively make it a contract. Probably no such luck with prom tickets. I have a feeling the school district will be paying to get the nuisance suit to go away.
Jeremy is a perfect candidate for *Gender re assignment surgery*
Call Dr. Invertedpenis!
Code Blue!
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