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Victory for Constance!

Last week, we introduced you to Constance McMillen, an 18-year-old senior at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Jackson,...

Amanda M. Fairbanks
By Amanda M. FairbanksMar 25, 2010
Amanda M. Fairbanks
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Last week, we introduced you to Constance McMillen, an 18-year-old senior at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Jackson, Mississippi, who bravely challenged a school policy that barred her from taking her girlfriend to prom.

When the school responded by canceling prom altogether, the American Civil Liberties Union jumped to McMillen's defense and filed a suit against the school district, asking that it reverse its decision. A national debate ensued.

No sooner was she plucked from a conservative town of 4,000 residents and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where Ellen presented her with $30,000 in college scholarship money. A handful of Facebook fan pages also sprouted up (both in support of and also against McMillen's decision.)

Yesterday, victory. A federal judge ruled that the school had indeed violated McMillen's rights, though it stopped short of reinstating the April prom date. A trial will be held a later, unspecified date.

Meanwhile, parents have organized a private prom, though it's not yet clear whether gay couples would be welcome and the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition, an advocacy group for gay students, is planning a separate event. And if neither of those options suffice, offers have been flooding in from all over the country, from people wanting to help.

Any ideas about where and how Constance should celebrate?

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