More On Derrick Martin

A bit more on the Derrick Martin story.

You know him, the gay kid from Georgia who wanted to take his boyfriend to prom, and he asked for permission and the school said "Yes" and then his parents kicked him out of their house?

All righty then, we're all up to speed.

But the debate still rages in his hometown of Cochran, Georgia, which, oddly enough, was originally called Dykesboro.

Seriously. but I digress,

Derrick is suddenly The homosexual about town. people shout his name as they pass him on the street; many people are with him. Others, not so much. it's those people we need to see.

Barbara Anderson: “I think they [the school board] ought to do like that other state and cancel the prom. They won’t allow us to have God in school, but they’ll allow this?”

Barb? Honey? There is a thing in this country called, and forgive me for shouting but some of you wingnuts don't seem to get it, SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!

Jason Ledbetter: “It bothers me. By him doing that, it shows we accept it.”

Jason? Moron? You don't need to accept it; it is. Derrick Martin is gay and you don't have to like it, but you cannot deny him the same rights as every other student. M'kay?

Faye Ortiz: “What they do is up to them. They’ve got to answer to God.”

Same goes for you, Faye; and I don't think god will take kindly to your homophobic Bible thumping. She don't roll like that.

But, for every Barbara Anderson, Jason Ledbetter, and Faye Ortiz, there are more rational minds.

Victoria Cagle: “I think what they [the board] did was the right thing. I think what he’s doing is awesome.”

Kenny Laney, a business partner of Jason Ledbetter: “It’s like an inter-racial couple. I thought we would have gotten over that by now, and gotten over this, too.”

But, oddly missing from the debate, and from the support for Derrick Martin, are his gay friends. Even his boyfriend has yet to comment on the uproar; and his parents, except for kicking him out of their home, haven't said a word. But he expected some of them to stand with him when he took his request to school officials.

“I thought I would have had a little bit of backup. But it’s just me.”

No, Derrick, it isn't just you. You now have a whole community that stands with you, and by you and for you.