Jordan
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Meet Ceara Sturgis from Copiah County Mississippi. Well before Constance McMillen made headlines, this high school student, also lesbian, wanted to wear a tux for her school photo. Unfortunately, this being rural Mississippi, the result was predictable:
On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit for Sturgis, claiming the Copiah County district discriminated against her on the basis of sex and gender stereotypes. Her photo and name were kept out of her senior yearbook.
The ACLU first contacted the district in October 2009 about the issue, but officials said they would adhere to a school policy. By the time Wesson Attendance Center yearbooks were released this spring, school officials had made clear Sturgis' photo in a tuxedo wouldn't be included. But Sturgis was surprised to see even her name was left out of the senior section.
"I guess in the back of my mind I knew that was going to happen, but I did have a little hope. I cried. I put my head down and put my hand over my face," Sturgis said Tuesday.
The suit challenges the district's policy allowing male students, but not female students, to wear a tux for senior portraits. The suit alleges a violation of Title IX, the federal law prohibiting discrimination based on gender.
We need more lawsuits like this, and what's even more, we need comprehensive FEDERAL protections for sexual orientation and gender identity (with even more specific protections for the latter). such as the American Equality Bill.
I wished I could wear a dress for my senior photo at college. Unfortunately, NJ's law against discrimination for gender identity and expression didn't go into effect until 2 months after I graduated. It's sad that I couldn't be myself in college, and I applaud Ceara and Constance and all the people who are gender non-conforming and are not afraid to be themselves.
-Jordan Gwendolyn Davis
