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| Topic: Girl in tuxedo denied a place in school yearbook | |
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By Chris Joyner, USA TODAY JACKSON, Miss. — Veronica Rodriguez describes her daughter, 17-year-old Ceara Sturgis, as "a perfect child": a straight-A student, a goalie on the soccer team, a trumpet player in the band and active in Students Against Destructive Decisions. 
Sturgis also is gay and feels more comfortable in boys' clothes, her mother says. So Rodriguez supported her daughter's decision to wear a tuxedo, rather than the drape customary for girls, when she had her senior portrait made in July. Now she is battling officials at Wesson Attendance Center in the Copiah County (Miss.) School District. Rodriguez said she received a letter from the school in August stating that only boys could wear tuxedos and have since refused to include the photo in the school yearbook. The conflict is one of several this year involving how school districts handle cross-dressing students. "The yearbook is not for the parents or the teachers. It's for the students," Rodriguez said. "She's not a troublemaker. She is gay." Superintendent Ricky Clopton said the school district's attorney has assured him they are within their rights to exclude the photo. Sturgis said she has received support from classmates and people around the nation. "It's really an amazing feeling," she said. The Mississippi chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union warned the district that they are violating Sturgis' constitutionally protected freedom of expression, legal director Kristy Bennett said. Candace Gingrich of the Human Rights Campaign, which advocates on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, said it is not uncommon for LGBT students to clash with school officials on this issue. "It's a matter of self-expression," she said. Other school conflicts this year: • In Waldorf, Md., a Westlake High senior was denied the option of wearing a tuxedo for her yearbook photo. Her mother complained, and the school reversed the decision after discovering other schools had allowed it, schools spokeswoman Katie O'Malley-Simpson said. • In Dunnellon, Fla., a 16-year-old boy was sent home in March for violating Marion County School District dress code by wearing makeup, high-heeled boots and a bra. The policy on the district website states that students must dress "in keeping with their gender." Kathy Richardson, of the school district, said the boy's cross-dressing was an isolated event. • In Lebanon, Ind., school officials in March reversed a ban on cross-dressing when a female senior decided to wear a tux to the prom. The girl sued the district, but the issue was settled when a "gender-neutral" policy was adopted. "We were OK with making that switch," Lebanon High Principal Kevin O'Rourke said. In Sturgis' case, the deadline for yearbook photos was Sept. 30. Rodriguez hopes the school will reconsider. Contributing: Marquita Brown. Joyner and Brown report for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss. Article here http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-10-18-yearbook-photo-lesbian_N.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gotta admire her guts, though it seems she is having more trouble with adults than her class mates. IM going to be the odd woman here. The yearbook pictures are a time consuming process that the SCHOOL pays for , they arent a private photo shoot to express yourself. There is a uniform code for the pictures that applies to everyone and is therefor fare. My son would have preferred to wear jeans on his picture day too but the boys were required to wear suits. It was one day for one event and I think those paying to have the pictures taken had the right to try to keep things uniform. The rest of the year they may dress how they wish. I paid for my own senior class pictures/yearbook pictures. I probly varies from school to school but I had to go to a private photographer for mine. |
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Edited by
Winx
on
Mon 10/19/09 11:56 PM
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Oops.
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By Chris Joyner, USA TODAY JACKSON, Miss. — Veronica Rodriguez describes her daughter, 17-year-old Ceara Sturgis, as "a perfect child": a straight-A student, a goalie on the soccer team, a trumpet player in the band and active in Students Against Destructive Decisions.
Sturgis also is gay and feels more comfortable in boys' clothes, her mother says. So Rodriguez supported her daughter's decision to wear a tuxedo, rather than the drape customary for girls, when she had her senior portrait made in July. Now she is battling officials at Wesson Attendance Center in the Copiah County (Miss.) School District. Rodriguez said she received a letter from the school in August stating that only boys could wear tuxedos and have since refused to include the photo in the school yearbook. The conflict is one of several this year involving how school districts handle cross-dressing students. "The yearbook is not for the parents or the teachers. It's for the students," Rodriguez said. "She's not a troublemaker. She is gay." Superintendent Ricky Clopton said the school district's attorney has assured him they are within their rights to exclude the photo. Sturgis said she has received support from classmates and people around the nation. "It's really an amazing feeling," she said. The Mississippi chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union warned the district that they are violating Sturgis' constitutionally protected freedom of expression, legal director Kristy Bennett said. Candace Gingrich of the Human Rights Campaign, which advocates on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, said it is not uncommon for LGBT students to clash with school officials on this issue. "It's a matter of self-expression," she said. Other school conflicts this year: • In Waldorf, Md., a Westlake High senior was denied the option of wearing a tuxedo for her yearbook photo. Her mother complained, and the school reversed the decision after discovering other schools had allowed it, schools spokeswoman Katie O'Malley-Simpson said. • In Dunnellon, Fla., a 16-year-old boy was sent home in March for violating Marion County School District dress code by wearing makeup, high-heeled boots and a bra. The policy on the district website states that students must dress "in keeping with their gender." Kathy Richardson, of the school district, said the boy's cross-dressing was an isolated event. • In Lebanon, Ind., school officials in March reversed a ban on cross-dressing when a female senior decided to wear a tux to the prom. The girl sued the district, but the issue was settled when a "gender-neutral" policy was adopted. "We were OK with making that switch," Lebanon High Principal Kevin O'Rourke said. In Sturgis' case, the deadline for yearbook photos was Sept. 30. Rodriguez hopes the school will reconsider. Contributing: Marquita Brown. Joyner and Brown report for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss. Article here http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-10-18-yearbook-photo-lesbian_N.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gotta admire her guts, though it seems she is having more trouble with adults than her class mates. IM going to be the odd woman here. The yearbook pictures are a time consuming process that the SCHOOL pays for , they arent a private photo shoot to express yourself. There is a uniform code for the pictures that applies to everyone and is therefor fare. My son would have preferred to wear jeans on his picture day too but the boys were required to wear suits. It was one day for one event and I think those paying to have the pictures taken had the right to try to keep things uniform. The rest of the year they may dress how they wish. I paid for my own senior class pictures/yearbook pictures. I probly varies from school to school but I had to go to a private photographer for mine. That would dictate you wearing what you want. Now, whether the yearbook publishers and editors chose to include the pic,, would be up to them. My son is in public school the school has paid the photographers to come that day and take pictures, the photographers dont wait for the kids payments. Many take the pictures but dont choose to buy them. Photographers couldnt work that way , they are paid by the school first,,(at our school) |
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By Chris Joyner, USA TODAY JACKSON, Miss. — Veronica Rodriguez describes her daughter, 17-year-old Ceara Sturgis, as "a perfect child": a straight-A student, a goalie on the soccer team, a trumpet player in the band and active in Students Against Destructive Decisions.
Sturgis also is gay and feels more comfortable in boys' clothes, her mother says. So Rodriguez supported her daughter's decision to wear a tuxedo, rather than the drape customary for girls, when she had her senior portrait made in July. Now she is battling officials at Wesson Attendance Center in the Copiah County (Miss.) School District. Rodriguez said she received a letter from the school in August stating that only boys could wear tuxedos and have since refused to include the photo in the school yearbook. The conflict is one of several this year involving how school districts handle cross-dressing students. "The yearbook is not for the parents or the teachers. It's for the students," Rodriguez said. "She's not a troublemaker. She is gay." Superintendent Ricky Clopton said the school district's attorney has assured him they are within their rights to exclude the photo. Sturgis said she has received support from classmates and people around the nation. "It's really an amazing feeling," she said. The Mississippi chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union warned the district that they are violating Sturgis' constitutionally protected freedom of expression, legal director Kristy Bennett said. Candace Gingrich of the Human Rights Campaign, which advocates on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, said it is not uncommon for LGBT students to clash with school officials on this issue. "It's a matter of self-expression," she said. Other school conflicts this year: • In Waldorf, Md., a Westlake High senior was denied the option of wearing a tuxedo for her yearbook photo. Her mother complained, and the school reversed the decision after discovering other schools had allowed it, schools spokeswoman Katie O'Malley-Simpson said. • In Dunnellon, Fla., a 16-year-old boy was sent home in March for violating Marion County School District dress code by wearing makeup, high-heeled boots and a bra. The policy on the district website states that students must dress "in keeping with their gender." Kathy Richardson, of the school district, said the boy's cross-dressing was an isolated event. • In Lebanon, Ind., school officials in March reversed a ban on cross-dressing when a female senior decided to wear a tux to the prom. The girl sued the district, but the issue was settled when a "gender-neutral" policy was adopted. "We were OK with making that switch," Lebanon High Principal Kevin O'Rourke said. In Sturgis' case, the deadline for yearbook photos was Sept. 30. Rodriguez hopes the school will reconsider. Contributing: Marquita Brown. Joyner and Brown report for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss. Article here http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-10-18-yearbook-photo-lesbian_N.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gotta admire her guts, though it seems she is having more trouble with adults than her class mates. IM going to be the odd woman here. The yearbook pictures are a time consuming process that the SCHOOL pays for , they arent a private photo shoot to express yourself. There is a uniform code for the pictures that applies to everyone and is therefor fare. My son would have preferred to wear jeans on his picture day too but the boys were required to wear suits. It was one day for one event and I think those paying to have the pictures taken had the right to try to keep things uniform. The rest of the year they may dress how they wish. I paid for my own senior class pictures/yearbook pictures. I probly varies from school to school but I had to go to a private photographer for mine. That would dictate you wearing what you want. Now, whether the yearbook publishers and editors chose to include the pic,, would be up to them. My son is in public school the school has paid the photographers to come that day and take pictures, the photographers dont wait for the kids payments. Many take the pictures but dont choose to buy them. Photographers couldnt work that way , they are paid by the school first,,(at our school) I didn't have a choice lol, the school wouldn't pay for pictures. All the seniors had to pay for their own pictures. |
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That would dictate you wearing what you want. Now, whether the yearbook publishers and editors chose to include the pic,, would be up to them. My son is in public school the school has paid the photographers to come that day and take pictures, the photographers dont wait for the kids payments. Many take the pictures but dont choose to buy them. Photographers couldnt work that way , they are paid by the school first,,(at our school)
This will be quite  ...
But, MsHarmony, do you see what I was referring to in the other thread last night??? Why does this matter more than the homeless?? Or the unemployed?? Or the families who have no idea where their next meal will come from?? People's priorities are completely fouled up these days. |
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That would dictate you wearing what you want. Now, whether the yearbook publishers and editors chose to include the pic,, would be up to them. My son is in public school the school has paid the photographers to come that day and take pictures, the photographers dont wait for the kids payments. Many take the pictures but dont choose to buy them. Photographers couldnt work that way , they are paid by the school first,,(at our school)
This will be quite ...
But, MsHarmony, do you see what I was referring to in the other thread last night??? Why does this matter more than the homeless?? Or the unemployed?? Or the families who have no idea where their next meal will come from?? People's priorities are completely fouled up these days. I think there are so many things going on in peoples lives, they just pick topics that may be interesting. They dont always look for substance. Neither do I,,Im here, after all. I think those priorities should be discussed as well. But there is only so much room in one forum. |
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Edited by
JustAGuy2112
on
Mon 10/19/09 11:40 PM
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That would dictate you wearing what you want. Now, whether the yearbook publishers and editors chose to include the pic,, would be up to them. My son is in public school the school has paid the photographers to come that day and take pictures, the photographers dont wait for the kids payments. Many take the pictures but dont choose to buy them. Photographers couldnt work that way , they are paid by the school first,,(at our school)
This will be quite ...
But, MsHarmony, do you see what I was referring to in the other thread last night??? Why does this matter more than the homeless?? Or the unemployed?? Or the families who have no idea where their next meal will come from?? People's priorities are completely fouled up these days. I think there are so many things going on in peoples lives, they just pick topics that may be interesting. They dont always look for substance. Neither do I,,Im here, after all. I think those priorities should be discussed as well. But there is only so much room in one forum. And yet....how much ' room ' do any of us see being devoted to those topics/problems?? * sigh * |
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That would dictate you wearing what you want. Now, whether the yearbook publishers and editors chose to include the pic,, would be up to them. My son is in public school the school has paid the photographers to come that day and take pictures, the photographers dont wait for the kids payments. Many take the pictures but dont choose to buy them. Photographers couldnt work that way , they are paid by the school first,,(at our school)
This will be quite ...
But, MsHarmony, do you see what I was referring to in the other thread last night??? Why does this matter more than the homeless?? Or the unemployed?? Or the families who have no idea where their next meal will come from?? People's priorities are completely fouled up these days. I think there are so many things going on in peoples lives, they just pick topics that may be interesting. They dont always look for substance. Neither do I,,Im here, after all. I think those priorities should be discussed as well. But there is only so much room in one forum. And yet....how much ' room ' do any of us see being devoted to those topics/problems?? * sigh * Just a doll, to coin a phrase,,'dont talk about it , be about it' Why dont you start a thread? I would love to hear your ideas and participate in the discussion,,seriously. |
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Just a doll, to coin a phrase,,'dont talk about it , be about it'
Why dont you start a thread? I would love to hear your ideas and participate in the discussion,,seriously. Alright. We'll see how it goes. |
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Edited by
Foliel
on
Mon 10/19/09 11:57 PM
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This is just one topic of many that people may feel is silly or that there are more important things in the world, BUT someone's rights being trampled simply cuz she chose to wear a tux instead of clothing for a girl is important.
It is not more important than the homeless or the unemployed but it is still important. |
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Msharmony, I've never heard of the school paying for the photos. I had to personally pay for my senior picture. They were expensive. Everybody I know til this day has had to pay big bucks for those pics - not the school. Everybody goes to a photography studio for their pictures. Now...my child is not in high school. Those pics are taken at school. I pay for them still. |
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I see nothing wrong with the way she chose to dress. I highly doubt her goal was to look like a boy, she just felt more comfortable in a tux than she did in a dress. My mom is 52 and has never once worn a dress in her life. Jeans and T-shirts, when we would go out, she would wear jeans and a nice blouse or a sweater. She didn't even wear a dress to my sisters wedding. I should point out that my mother has been handicapped since she was only 28, she only has one leg and a broken back, whcih I would figure would make a dress more comfortable.....Not gonna happen lol Lot's of women prefer jeans and t-shirts, that's all I will wear too. I just think she's got courage to stand up for what she wants, especially when the public is going to put her through the ringer. Year books are notoriously boring, it would be nice to see one with some imagination for a change. It's their photo, let them be seen how they wish. JMO of course. |
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I'm wearing a T-shirt and shorts right now. lol
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i always thought that yearbooks were supposed to be a "snapshot" of school life. the pics are supposed to bring you back...give you the memories of what it was like back then.
at our school, we paid for the pics. we chose the photographer (although only one here was worth his salt) and set up the appointments and bought the pictures. we then submitted them to the yearbook committee to be placed in the yearbook. yearbooks are about the kids, not about the administrators. way to punish an excellent student and give her a negative memory to finish off her senior year. |
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In my school, I believe the pictures were paid for by the school. [I'd have to check with my mom to be certain of this, if she even remembers, since it was some time ago.] My school also provided the "costumes" for each student to wear (tux jackets, bowties, and shirts with ridiculously large ruffles for the guys, gowns that could be worn on or off the shoulder for the ladies), so there wasn't much to do about that.
If the school pays but doesn't provide the items to wear, I think there certainly should still be some leeway. If the student's family pays for the pictures, there should be virtually no input whatsoever from the school (except to disallow anything that would break decency laws and the like). |
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In my school, I believe the pictures were paid for by the school. [I'd have to check with my mom to be certain of this, if she even remembers, since it was some time ago.] My school also provided the "costumes" for each student to wear (tux jackets, bowties, and shirts with ridiculously large ruffles for the guys, gowns that could be worn on or off the shoulder for the ladies), so there wasn't much to do about that. If the school pays but doesn't provide the items to wear, I think there certainly should still be some leeway. If the student's family pays for the pictures, there should be virtually no input whatsoever from the school (except to disallow anything that would break decency laws and the like). same at my school, except if we wanted a package of pictures then we paid for them. the photographers took everyones pictures for free for the yearbook and to try to get people to buy the packages |
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same at my school, except if we wanted a package of pictures then we paid for them. the photographers took everyones pictures for free for the yearbook and to try to get people to buy the packages Now that you say that, that's very likely the way it was at my school, too. It's been so long that sometimes it can be tough to remember. 
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I see nothing wrong with the way she chose to dress. I highly doubt her goal was to look like a boy, she just felt more comfortable in a tux than she did in a dress. My mom is 52 and has never once worn a dress in her life. Jeans and T-shirts, when we would go out, she would wear jeans and a nice blouse or a sweater. She didn't even wear a dress to my sisters wedding. I should point out that my mother has been handicapped since she was only 28, she only has one leg and a broken back, whcih I would figure would make a dress more comfortable.....Not gonna happen lol Lot's of women prefer jeans and t-shirts, that's all I will wear too. I just think she's got courage to stand up for what she wants, especially when the public is going to put her through the ringer. Year books are notoriously boring, it would be nice to see one with some imagination for a change. It's their photo, let them be seen how they wish. JMO of course. Sorry I should have also pointed out that my mom frequently buys men's clothing. She finds them to be more comfortable. |
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I'm wearing a T-shirt and shorts right now. lol But but but, that's so gay!  Sorry, Winx, couldn't resist.
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I'm wearing a T-shirt and shorts right now. lol But but but, that's so gay! Sorry, Winx, couldn't resist.
So be it. 
I also have one bare foot and one fractured foot in a gimp shoe. Ooops, I have no make-up on either.
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