What happened? Hopefully everything worked out well...

However, unless you want to go through absolute hell, I wouldn't recommend going the ACLU route. Sure, you could start a legal breakthrough dealing with the rights of students at private schools, but it would most likely drag you through the mud. Most private schools already have their own lawyers, not to mention the means to fight if they really want to. I don't know how liberal or conservative your school is, but if they are the latter then it could be a huge fight to the death almost.

Hopefully talking to the Principal is all you need to do. If that doesn't work, I would suggest talking to a teacher who likes you and supports you... and having them champion your cause to the Principal. Getting your parents to talk to him, or the parents committee/board of directors would also be a thing to consider if it ends up going that far. Hopefully it doesn't, because such fights are difficult when you still have another full year at the school.

~beth

From somebody who has been on the student newspaper for three years and has an inside track to everything student council tries to do by being close with their adviser:

If a principal doesn't want to change his/her mind, you can't change it in PUBLIC schools, let alone private schools. I think it's damn commendable that Alex is going to try and take the respectful way through this, but ... you know, sometimes, it just doesn't work. Certain people know how to play the game so that, no matter how piss-poor of a leader they are, they always win. Such is life, and unfortunately, the only way out might be to try and take a legal route, if that's the way he wants to go.

But Alex said he doesn't want to make a stand, and personally, I don't think it's worth the trouble.

Go somewhere else, man--it's not like prom has ever been a great event to begin with, and you can just pretend the morons don't exist.

[This message has been edited by sawdust restaurants (edited 04-17-2002).]

wow.

so, i met with them today and they circled around the issue for about an hour, then they said(verbatim), "we want you to go home and think about the negative ramifications of you going with your 'friend,' on the community. tomorrow, we will have made a decision and hopefully we will all be happy with the decision." they tried to guilt it out of me. they said word for fucking word, "think about other gay students who aren't out. they'll see this(edit: this=me going to the prom and the 'community' getting in an uproar.) as a failure, and they'll be scared forever. think about the movement to establish open-mindedness here. this will just cause it to move two steps back." what the fuck?

i was so livid, but i kept my dignity and confused the fuck out of them with some pretty loaded questions.

as i was walking out of the building at the end of the day i saw 4 sheets hanging on the student messageboard. someone posted a petition at the end of the day that read(i wrote down what it said.)...

"We the undersigned respectfully submit the following petition on behalf of all students: that Alex Washko be allowed to bring whomever he chooses to his Jr/Sr prom. We believe that the school originally displayed support and acceptance for diversity in our student body, but we now feel the school is hesitant in supporting what true diversity means." Followed by 450 blanks over 4 pages. it was posted after school was out, so signatures were minimal, but god damn. http://www.netphoria.org/wwwboard/smile.gif i was astounded. still am. i want to find out who did it.



[This message has been edited by peabody (edited 04-17-2002).]

props for not going to the ACLU.

I have more respect for people who say "I'm better than the ignorant people who hold me down" and handle it within their own means as opposed to relying on an organization founded off scare tactics.

the reaction i'm getting is amazing. people i've never spoken to im'ing me saying, "dude. i'm signing that petition. this is fucked up."

That is awesome that someone posted that petition. http://www.netphoria.org/wwwboard/smile.gif

------------------
~~Samantha~~
AIM: MercuryAdore

http://homepages.nyu.edu/~sag249/sigankle.jpg

::Scrolls through::.

Geez, all the important stuff has been said. So I'll leave off with this message:

Yay, yay, we are gay!!!

that's so fucking cool..

What was the decision today?

Fuck, it's not like you're going to prom naked or anything (but girls can go to prom dressed like hookers...which is beside the point, but still). What bullshit. Do what I did and get the fucker demoted to assistant principal and sent to a school in the heart of the ghetto.

And congratulations on the recent developments. There truly is still decency left in the world.

[This message has been edited by Smiley33 (edited 04-18-2002).]

you are my hero alex seriously