Mississippi: Crapping on the Memories of Lesbian High Schoolers 1 Student at a Time

[DaemonSeid]

sent to me via e mail today:

http://gawker.com/5525789/mississipp...chool-memories



First the state was pulling the ol' Fake Prom grift on Constance McMillen, and now it's removing a butch-ish lesbian from her high school yearbook, entirely. That's what happened to Ceara Sturgis of Hazlehurst, MS, anyway.

Ceara is a graduating senior at the Wesson Attendance Center ("attendance center" being the most depressingly — and, for Mississippi, aptly — reductive and simplistic description of a high school we've ever heard) and by all accounts a good student. At the top of her class! And yet the school banned her photo from the yearbook because she was sporting both a tuxedo and Justin Bieber hair in her senior picture. After that became an issue, the dang school just completely removed any mention of her, from the entire book. Sturgis' mother says:



It's like she's nobody there, even though she's gone to school there for 12 years. They mentioned none of her accolades, even though she's one of the smartest students there with wonderful grades. They've got kids in the book that have been busted for drugs. There's even a picture of one of the seniors who dropped out of school.

Terrific! It's not already hard enough to be a lesbian teenager in Mississippi, peer wise. Now the grownup, adult, mature-people administrators at these Just Please Show Up centers are actively trying to ruin these kids' prom and yearbook experiences because they're gross weirdos. Next they'll be taking your driver's license the day you get it and punching you in the face during your first kiss.

But at least everyone else's important Sitting There Daily Center memories will be untarnished, blessedly protected from the hideous Lesbo Tux Teen menace. That's what's truly important here.

[DrPhil]

One of the many reasons why people remain "in the closet" until they move to a place where they won't be judged for everything.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

One of the many reasons why people remain "in the closet" until they move to a place where they won't be judged for everything.

my thoughts exactly

[Munchkin03]

Maybe Mississippi should focus on getting the state out of the gutter on nearly every measurable standard instead of the crap they've been pulling lately.

They are worse than Floriduh and the Dirty Jerz.

[Alumiyum]

Jesus Christ, even if the entire administration of the school has a problem with homosexuality...IT'S NOT CONTAGIOUS. Their precious children won't catch gay from looking at this girl's high school photo.

I grew up around a lot of people who were, for religious reasons, not accepting of homosexuality, but for the most part they remembered that Mr. Jesus himself said to "love your neighbor", so this sort of thing wouldn't have happened. Why is that the one part of Christianity that is most often ignored?

[33girl]

Best thread title.

If anyone needs to be wiped out of existence for sporting Justin Bieber hair, it's Justin Bieber.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Best thread title.

If anyone needs to be wiped out of existence for sporting Justin Bieber hair, it's Justin Bieber.

I support this post.

[knight_shadow]

I was the editor of my high school yearbook. I would have been happy if our biggest worry was a woman wearing a tux and sporting JB hair.

The yearbook advisor/teacher could have easily fixed this, though, by putting pictures of students in their caps and gowns in the book.

Originally Posted by 33girl

If anyone needs to be wiped out of existence for sporting Justin Bieber hair, it's Justin Bieber.

Lol.

Although...Baby is a catchy tune. And that phrase will do nothing in helping me get my man card back

[33girl]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

The yearbook advisor/teacher could have easily fixed this, though, by putting pictures of students in their caps and gowns in the book.

Along these lines - I know we had to have our pics taken by the official school photographer, or they wouldn't be in the yearbook. You didn't have to buy them if you didn't want to. You could get pics to hand out taken by another photographer (the more "trendy" one) but they wouldn't go in the book. The official photographer also had a dress code - but as I outlined, if Justine Bieber just wanted to get her "girly" pic for the yb and get ones of her in a tux to hand out to friends, no prob.

What happens is the popular kids go "OMG!!!1 MY SENIOR PICTURE MUST HAVE A FANCY BACKGROUND!! I'M NOT LETTING THAT HACK PHOTOGRAPH ME!!" so the yb starts slacking and lets people get their own pictures done. Then something like this comes up. Stupid school.

[BabyPiNK_FL]

As long as she wasn't violating dress code can they really do that? I mean, they probably don't have ANY policy against being, masculine looking, gay, or wearing a tuxedo. They might have one against inappropriate attire, but a tuxedo is not inappropriate and I don't they have guidelines for appropriate attire based on gender. This is ridiculous. Someone sue.

What's next? Burn victims because they are "ugly"? The kid with the weird mustache? Come ON!

[33girl]

Originally Posted by BabyPiNK_FL

As long as she wasn't violating dress code can they really do that?

Well, I think our dress code was something like:

Guys: coat, collared shirt, tie
Women: nice blouse or sweater

So yeah, technically, a guy could wear a shirt with a lace collar (LOL) and a woman could wear a tuxedo shirt - if you look at your mom's old pictures there are probably some of when women were wearing those hideous string ties and floppy bow ties. Even with a dress code, you're right, she didn't violate it.

The best thing to do nowadays if you want to avoid situations like this is to have everyone wear caps & gowns like k_s said, or for the guys to wear a (photog-provided) tux or suit jacket w/ tie and girls to wear a drape.

[thetygerlily]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Well, I think our dress code was something like:

Guys: coat, collared shirt, tie
Women: nice blouse or sweater

Your school must've cared more than mine. We just had to abide by the basic daily dress code (e.g. no spaghetti straps) and couldn't wear sunglasses or hats. Basically nothing scandalous and nothing that prevented you from being seen. I'm pretty sure my school administration would've LOVED a female student that wore a tuxedo shirt- less skin showing!

Maybe one of the earlier articles said... What PC rationale did they give for pulling her from the yearbook? Just dress code and hair cut? If so, they apparently should've banned her from the school entirely. Or um... you know, talked to her and retaken the photo. Ugh.

[Xidelt]

I totally don't see how this is legal. Where is the GLAAD legal defense fund?

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Along these lines - I know we had to have our pics taken by the official school photographer, or they wouldn't be in the yearbook. You didn't have to buy them if you didn't want to. You could get pics to hand out taken by another photographer (the more "trendy" one) but they wouldn't go in the book. The official photographer also had a dress code - but as I outlined, if Justine Bieber just wanted to get her "girly" pic for the yb and get ones of her in a tux to hand out to friends, no prob.

What happens is the popular kids go "OMG!!!1 MY SENIOR PICTURE MUST HAVE A FANCY BACKGROUND!! I'M NOT LETTING THAT HACK PHOTOGRAPH ME!!" so the yb starts slacking and lets people get their own pictures done. Then something like this comes up. Stupid school.

Our school did a combination of this. The school told us the background of our senior pic for the yearbook had to be a color backdrop (I think it was a gray/blue or beige...can't remember now), but we could get it done anywhere, and we could wear anything we wanted. Most of us just had it done with the photographer who did the rest of our senior photos, but a few kids just had the photo taken on school photo day with the rest of the student body.

[PiKA2001]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Best thread title.

If anyone needs to be wiped out of existence for sporting Justin Bieber hair, it's Justin Bieber.

Funny, I had just mentioned the other day how HE looks like a lesbian on that magazine cover he's on this month.

Can someone post a pic of it for me on here? I need a cheap laugh.