A 17-year-old senior is suing Lebanon High School in Indiana because her principal told her she couldn’t wear a tuxedo to the prom. The teen, whose name hasn’t been released, believes wearing a dress conveys a sexual identity she rejects. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis on behalf of the girl, and it says that although the school dress code doesn’t specify gender-based requirements, the senior prom dress code dictates that girls wear a formal prom dress. The lawsuit alleges that the prom dress code policy discriminates against students based on gender and the policy violates federal law because the school receives federal funds. The ACLU is seeking an injunction that will allow the teen to wear the same attire as males attending the prom. Meanwhile, school officials are discussing whether to allow the teen to wear a pantsuit, instead. Clearly a women’s pantsuit doesn’t convey the same message as wearing a tux would.
Cases like this seem to come up each year around this time as LGBTQ teens try to enjoy a right of passage that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. After the jump, other instances in which LGBTQ teens have dealt with similar situations.
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