Georgia Students Protest Decision to Allow Gay Teen at Prom

[Ian David]

This is pretty awful. Rather than standing behind gay teen Derrick Martin, whose parents kicked him out of the house following his school's decision to allow him to bring his boyfriend (Richard Goodman, pictured below) to prom, a group of students at the school is protesting its decision:

"Bleckley school system officials last week granted senior Derrick Martin permission to take another boy to prom. The decision marked the first decision in the county’s history about a same-sex couple attending the prom there. 'We knew Derrick was gay,' said Keith Bowman Jr., a high school senior who showed up at the rally. 'They don’t want (Cochran) to be known as a pro gay town.' Most of the dozen attending the rally said they weren’t bothered by Martin being gay or being allowed to attend prom with his partner. But they said the school system’s decision has brought too much attention to their small town. The rally’s organizer, Amber Duskin, sent text messages to high school students Wednesday asking them to show up. The senior said she asked her high school to return her prom ticket money and does not plan to attend because of Martin.' I don’t believe in going up there and dancing with gay guys like that,' she said. 'It’s also not just him bringing a boy. It was bringing all this attention to it.'"

There has been much support for Martin elsewhere, though, Project Q Atlanta reports:

"The gay Georgia teen who gained attention this week for pushing to bring his boyfriend to the prom only to be kicked out by his parents will be a guest at Friday’s concert by the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus. Derrick Martin (photo left), an 18-year-old honor student at Bleckley County High School in Cochran, is expected to attend AGMC’s 'Georgia on My Mind' concert tonight at Virginia Highland Church, according to chorus Executive Director Keith Fenton. He may even return for one of the Saturday performances, too, Fenton says."

More:
http://www.towleroad.com/2010/03/students-protest-georgia-schools-decision-to-allow-gay-teen-at-prom-dont-want-town-to-be-known-as-pr.html

See prior threads:

Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus hosting the Ga. teen kicked out of home due to prom date. Click here to hide this thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x157933

Miley Cyrus learns what activism means and the teen taking a date to the prom kicked out of house Click here to hide this thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x157923

Georgia teen allowed to take his boyfriend to prom Click here to hide this thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x157788

[msongs]

1. gee and what religion do these dolts belong to? nt

[tbyg52]

11. One guess. (Any more wouldn't be sporting.) nt

[ZombieHorde]

2. Recommended. nt

[hedgehog]

3. I was all prepared to make some snide remark about Amber's

love life, but I won't go there.

[Ian David]

4. Yes. Protesting is a great way to avoid attention, you morons. n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. 'It’s also not just him bringing a boy. It was bringing all this attention to it.'

Nevermind that their protesting the decision is what is attracting attention to the town.

Even in Georgia, it is the 21st century, and a gay couple at the prom is NOT unusual. Not unusual enough to garner headlines across the country. The general reaction to "Gay Couple To Attend Prom" across the country is, "So?"

[FreedomForAll159]

6. 'They don’t want (Cochran) to be known as a pro gay town.'

I'll update this one.

'They don’t want (Cochran) to be known as a pro black town.'

'They don’t want (Cochran) to be known as a pro jewish town.'

'They don’t want (Cochran) to be known as a pro muslim town.'

'They don’t want (Cochran) to be known as a pro deaf town.'

'They don’t want (Cochran) to be known as a pro feminist town.'

'They don’t want (Cochran) to be known as a pro wiccan town.'

'They don’t want (Cochran) to be known as a pro atheist town.'

'They don’t want (Cochran) to be known as a pro hispanic town.'

It all boils down to:

'They don’t want (Cochran) to be known as a pro civil rights town.'

[WillParkinson]

7. I guess I can kind of understand...

We all know 'the gay' is contagious. :sarcasm:

[Chulanowa]

8. Are you kidding me?

'I don’t believe in going up there and dancing with gay guys like that,' she said.

Why not, honey? it's fun?

[WillParkinson]

9. It's obvious...

She doesn't want to be shown up on the dance floor.

[RetiredTrotskyite]

10. Typical For Yahoos, I Guess...

So, lemme get this straight, because he brought attention to their town, they had a demonstration and brought more attention to their town. Say whaaaaa?

It is sad in this case, that the adult schoolboard is more forward-looking than Derrick's classmates. Usually, it's the other way around. This is simply screwed-- first the kid gets thrown out by his parents and then the students demonstrate against his coming to the prom with his boyfriend. As for the byotch that doesn't believe "in going up there and dancing with gay guys like that," some of the best times I've had in gay bars have been dancing with gay guys. Since this young man, amongst other things, tutors at-risk students, I'd like to ask this homophobic bimbo what she's done lately to make the world a better place. AS for this twaddle about not wanting Cochran to be known as a pro-gay town, God/dess forfend that the town might get a reputation for being at least somewhat progressive.

Derrick seems like a really nice young man and I wish him all the best. As for those classmates who demonstrated against his coming to the prom, well, they have a lot to learn and I think life will be only too happy to teach them these lessons.