Lisa Derrick posted this story about Derrek Lutz, who is going to prom with a female friend this evening. That part would pass in Mississippi, but this kid from Cape May, New Jersey, will be wearing a dress:
A New Jersey student, who is a cross-dresser, spoke to Eyewitness News about his fight to go to the prom in a knee-length black dress and heels.
“Yea, I’m a cross dresser,” said student Derrek Lutz.(…)
Lutz had no worries until he was told Thursday that wearing the dress to the prom would violate the school’s dress code.
“I was asked to go to the principal’s office,” Lutz said. “Basically, he just said I couldn’t wear a dress to prom.”(…)
“What makes me a woman is inside and it doesn’t really matter what’s on the outside. And everyone should really just be treated equally,” Lutz said.
So Lutz planned to show up with his female date, not to protest, but to participate in the festivities however he could.
But!
In the meantime, his friends started a petition and collected more than 600 signatures. Hundreds more joined a Facebook page created and titled: “Let Derrek Lutz Wear A Dress To Prom.”
In response, the school’s principal told Eyewitness News: “There was a discussion between the principal and a student. That discussion was taken to other parties in the district and the issue was resolved.”
That is so awesome.
The reason that stories like Constance McMillen and Ceara Sturgis in Mississippi have been such big stories is, in part, because we have already prevailed in the fight for equality among the voters who actually will be deciding the course of this nation, i.e. those under 30. In New Jersey, an entire class got together to fight for one of their friends to be able to express himself in a way that harms no one, but is genuine for him.
Here’s to wishing those kids a fantastic prom.
My boyfriend is not the type to dance or get dressed up. So when he agreed to go to the prom with me, I was psyched. I was actually going to see him in a tux. When we discussed plans, he told me that we could meet at my house so our families could meet, and we could do pictures. This was the first time we were going to meet each other’ families. Everything was perfect, and I was waiting for his arrival. My parents answered the door, and there was silence. My boyfriend was standing there in a lime green tux! At first I was humiliated, but as the night grew on, I realized how great of an icebreaker it was. And best of all, it got our picture all over the yearbook.