The Boys Danced

Unlike Constance McMiilen, Derrick Martin got his prom over the weekend, and it went off without a hitch, or a protest, or parents teaching their children to lie.

The Bleckley County High School senior made history Saturday when he became the first student in his hometown of Cochran, Georgia, to ask permission to bring a same sex partner to prom and have his school allow it. And when Derrick, and his boyfriend Richard Goodman, arrived on the "red carpet" set up for prom, and their names were announced, many people in the crowd cheered loudly.

No one yelled in protest.

Arturro Beeche, a San Francisco professor who flew into Georgia on Friday and drove Martin and Goodman to the prom, said, “I wonder if they realize what they’ve done. Once it happens in small-town America, it will inspire so many.”

Maybe inspire some people in Mississippi, I might add.

Like Contsance McMiilen, Derrick Martin wanted to share his prom experience with his same-sex partner, and went before the school board seeking permission. But, unlike Constance, the school board granted permission, saying there was no policy in place against it.

A rally was held in Cochran to protest Derrick and Richard's attendance at prom. And some people protested and bitched and kvetched, like they had done at Constance's school. But unlike Constance, whose father stood with her in her fight, Derrick Martin's parent's kicked him out of their home.

Another rally was held in Macon to support the couple and supporters collected $5,000 for Derrick's college fund.

And next month, Derrick and Richard will be going to Richard's prom.

Nice to see a happy ending for a change.

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.

UPDATE: Derrick Martin

Apparently people in his town, and at his school, are okay with Derrick [original post HERE] bringing his boyfriend to the prom.

His parents, however, are not.

Due to all the media attention his story has gotten, Derrick's parents have kicked him out of their home and he is staying with friends.

They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Source

Take Note Mississippi

It's happening again, this time in Georgia. Derrick Martin, one of those awful homosexual high school students, is seeking to ruin the prom for the normal kids by asking his principal if he can bring his, ahem, boyfriend to the dance.

And the principal said 'Yes'.

And no one has died, and there isn't an uproar about alternate proms, or private proms.

This is a first for this small Georgia town, and they are handling it quite differently than in Mississippi, where proms get cancelled, or privatized, for fear of letting The Gays slow dance. But, apparently, Georgia, unlike Mississippi, has actually crossed the century mark and joined the rest of the planet in the 21st century, while Mississippi still struggles.

It was back in January that Martin asked Bleckley County school officials permission to take another boy to the prom, and he got word last week that his high school will allow it.

“I didn’t expect them to say yes,” Derrick Martin said. “It’s who I am. I have the same rights. It's my senior prom, and I wanted to be able to prove not everyone would cancel prom.”
But still, he knew his request would be controversial for the town of some 5000 residents. And since prom dates from outside counties must be approved in advance, so Martin went to his principal and asked. At first she said no, because she didn't think the town was ready for it, but then last week school officials said they have no policy in place against it.

Principal Michelle Masters: “You don’t have the right to say no. As a principal, I don’t judge him. I’m taught not to judge. I have to push my own beliefs to the background.”

What's this? Common sense? Why don't we have more teachers and principals like her?

Still, Principal Masters is hoping it won’t become an issue in the community and distract from juniors and seniors who have looked forward to the event all school year.

Charlotte Pipkin, the superintendent of schools, said the school board didn’t take any votes on Martin’s request, but the board did discuss the matter during a board meeting. “Students are allowed to bring their date to prom,” Pipkin said. “There’s nothing that says who the date is."

Derrick Martin has been out at school since his sophomore year, but knows that not everyone at his school is tolerant. He is a bit concerned about the reception he'll receive at the prom "lead out" when the school announces each senior’s name and the date’s name.

“I’ll take out insurance on my tux,” he joked.

Have fun Derrick; maybe you ought to give Constance McMillen and her girlfriend an invitation so they can have prom, too.