They Entered To Cheers

Sarah Lindstrom and Desiree Shelton wore matching black suits with pink ties and held hands as they entered the Snow Days Pep Fest at Champlin Park High School in Minneapolis.

And the crowd cheered.

It was a welcome reaction for the couple, and school, and district administrators, who have been the focus of criticism on their policies toward LGBTQ youth and bullying, after Justin Aarberg killed himself.

Students voted onto the royalty court traditionally enter the Snow Days Pep Fest in boy-girl pairs, but, after Lindstrom and Shelton were elected, school officials modified the policy to allow students to enter alone, or with a parent or favorite teacher.

Not so fast, said Lindstrom and Shelton, who had hoped to enter as a couple. And not so fast, said  two human rights groups, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, sued on their behalf. And last weekend, after mediation, school officials relented, agreeing that members of the royalty court would be escorted by anyone meaningful to them, regardless of gender or age.

As it should be.

It is stories like these that give me hope for the future. Not only seeing a lesbian couple stand up for equality, but to see their fellow students stand with them. This is the future, and it looks pretty good.

source