Indiana high-schoolers want their own anti-LGBT prom night

Diana Medley

It seems that one sure-fire method to expose all kinds of wretched attitudes towards LGBT folk is the idea of gay and lesbian students mingling with their straight peers on prom night. It happened three years ago with the Constance McMillen saga in Itawamba County, Mississippi, and it’s now happening in Sullivan, Indiana:

Several parents, students, and others who believe gays should be banned from the Sullivan High School prom met Sunday at the Sullivan First Christian Church.

"We don't agree with it and it's offensive to us," said Diana Medley.

Their idea is to create their own separate...traditional prom. Students say there are several others from their high school who agree, but are afraid to take a stand.

"If we can get a good prom then we can convince more people to come and follow what they believe," said student Kynon Johnson.

And now they want everyone to know where they stand.

"We want to make the public see that we love the homosexuals, but we don't think it's right nor should it be accepted," said a local student.

[…]

Several local pastors support the separate prom movement.

"Christians have always been prepared for a fight. Jesus gave us armor for the front, not the back; we're not running anymore," said Bill Phegley with Carlisle Church.

You know, I really don’t believe there’s any other group on the planet that’s so keen to spin their own intolerance and discriminatory attitude as a symbol that they’re the ones putting up a brave fight in the face of overwhelming persecution. They want to show their support for LGBT folk – while condemning and shunning them because they have the gall to be attracted to people of the “wrong” gender. Why, how could anyone not think that they “love the homosexuals”?

Leave it to conservative Christians to combine such abject stupidity, bigotry and hypocrisy all at once and try to wrap it up in the diaphanous cloak of “love”. It would be hilarious if it weren’t so sickening.

At least one of them – someone who ought to know about the plight of marginalized students better than anyone – is honest about their ignorance ^{[my emphasis]}:

Diana Medley is a special education teacher in town. She doesn't believe anyone is born gay.

[…]

"Homosexual students come to me with their problems, and I don't agree with them, but I care about them. It's the same thing with my special needs kids, I think God puts everyone in our lives for a reason," said Madley.

"'So the same goes for gays? Do you think they have a purpose in life?' No I honestly don't. Sorry, but I don't. I don't understand it.

You don’t say.

Meanwhile, the Friendly Atheist has more, and Jen McCreight is about ready to spit fire over the endless display of brazen bigotry endemic to the region. She also lays out the perfect response for when “straight allies” are asked why we care so dang much about the plight of them gay folk ^{[original emphasis]}:

Why did I care so passionately about gay rights even though it didn’t personally affect me? Not because my parents “brainwashed” me to support gay rights or subscribe to some liberal agenda. We never discussed the topic, honestly. My parents just taught me to be a person who is kind to others. That’s all.

Heads and nails. It doesn’t take indoctrination into the Queer Arts^TM to get angry at the shitload of harm inflicted upon innocent, decent and loving people for absolutely no good reason at all, particularly if we have friends in that position. And when we get angry, we speak out. It’s as simple as that.

EDIT: 02/11/13 10:26 PM ET – Slight rephrasing and fixed a typo.