Gay teen calls for partner to prom in small Georgia town

“I didn’t expect them to state yes,” Martin told the Telegraph in a tale posted at www.macon.com. “It’s who I am. I have the same privileges. It’s my senior prom, and I needed to be able to show not everyone would cancel prom.”

Bleckley Principal Michelle Experts told the Telegraph she cannot turn down the request.

“You don’t have the to say no,” Experts said. “Like a principal, I don’t judge him. I’m taught never to judge. I have to push my very own values to the backdrop.

The Georgia school’s decision to permit the prom comes as a teenager in Mississippi continues making nationwide headlines in her effort to bring a lady time to the prom.

The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit March 11 following the school board called from the prom at Itawamba Agricultural SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL in Fulton, Miss., rather than allow Constance McMillen and her partner to attend as a few.

“Itawamba college officials are trying to change Constance in to the villain who called the whole thing off, which just isn’t what happened. She’s fighting for everyone to have the ability to benefit from the prom,” said Kristy Bennett, Legal Director of the ACLU of Mississippi, in a news release. “The federal government, and which includes general public colleges, can’t censor someone’s free appearance just because someone else might not enjoy it.”

On Monday, a federal court heard arguments in the ACLU’s motion for a preliminary injunction to avoid the Mississippi college from canceling the prom, which was originally place for April 2.

During the hearing, Bennett argued that canceling the prom to prevent a same-sex couple from attending violated McMillen’s First Amendment rights, according to a report by the Associated Press.

School board officials said these were considering canceling the prom predicated on concerns about the prospect of drug and alcoholic beverages use at the dance, but acknowledged the decision was made after McMillen’s demand to bring a lady date.

The school’s principal, Trae Wiygul, said he has faced public criticism for the decision.

“I’ve been called every name known to man,” Wiygul said, according to AP. “I’ve been called a bigot and homophobic.”

U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson said he would guideline quickly, but did not state a day for his decision, the AP reported.

The ACLU offers “Prom Resources for LGBT Students” on its website.