Homosexuality and Double Consciousness

When the subject of double consciousness came up in class this week and in the article, it was mainly referencing the double consciousness felt by black people in this country before the civil rights movement when segregation was a major issue in America. The best example of this feeling in the 21st century, of being American and something else, would probably be being GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender). Many gays and lesbians feel that they do not have the same rights as their heterosexual peers do. In most states they cannot marry, and homophobia is still widespread in this country, even in places where gays and lesbians generally feel safe, like New York City and San Francisco.

Part of the reason why homosexuality is an example of double consciousness is because sometimes it feels as though once a person is gay, that is all they are. What I mean by that is that if a public figure comes out, be they a politician, a movie star, or an athlete, they are usually known as gay first and politician, movie star, or athlete second. Being gay is the first thing that everyone thinks when they think of that person. It's as if sexual orientation suddenly becomes a defining factor of their person, even though for straight people being straight only comes up if you're talking about things like weddings and having kids. For a famous gay person, they could be going to the bank and they're still thought of as that gay celebrity going to the bank.

The double consciousness of homosexuality made headlines this week in Mississippi. Constance McMillen, an 18 year old high school senior, wanted to take her girlfriend to the prom this spring. When she asked the school for permission to take her girlfriend, the school reacted in a pretty amazing way, in my opinion. Rather than let Ms McMillen take her girlfriend to the prom, the school cancelled the entire event. That's right, the school CANCELLED PROM rather than letting a girl take her girlfriend as her date. Ms McMillen was not trying to make a statement here. All she wanted to do was enjoy her prom, the quintessential high school ending event, with her girlfriend and have a good time. She never intended for this to happen. Now she, with the help of the ACLU, is suing the school. As she says, "this isn't just about me and my rights anymore -- now I'm fighting for the right of all the students at my school to have our prom."

According to Constance McMillen's high school, she is gay first and high school student second. Her school's decision is wrong on many levels, but I feel like this is the worst one. Because now, if her prom stays cancelled and doesn't happen, the entire senior class will look at her as that gay kid who got our prom cancelled because she wanted to take her girlfriend with her. People look forward to prom throughout high school and to take that away from them, especially for something like this, is outrageous. I only hope that the school realizes its mistake and reneges on its decision.

The CNN and Huffington Post articles on this story can be read here:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/03/11/mississippi.prom.suit/index.html?iref=allsearch

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/11/mississippi-prom-canceled_n_494555.html