makes you think: constance mcmillen, and other bigotry in the news

i was just reading about constance mcmillen's fake prom and the hetero/able bodied "prom" thrown by parents. here's a link.

there are two big thoughts that have come to mind regarding this situation:

students/parents just don't understand

the students don't understand how they are supporting intolerance. one of the comments posted was quoting one of the students involved. she felt that constance was an attention whore and that this was about getting what she wanted. she felt that this alternative prom was to avoid drama. from an adolescent perspective, i can see where this could make sense.

i think what they're missing is what is the cause of the drama? maybe constance shouldn't have asked if she could take her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo. certainly, there have been homosexuals and heterosexuals that brought same-sex dates to prom before constance. maybe she did want attention. but, the school administration's decision to cancel prom because permission was requested was how this became a dramatic story. if constance is an attention whore, this would be exactly what she wanted. not a fake prom with 7 attendants.

on top of it, the organizers and attendees of the alternative "prom/party" had every right to throw a private party, however, given the scrutiny and national backlash they're receiving, it was probably not the best move. regardless of their actual feelings about homosexuality and people with disabilities, it supported exclusion and fueled the media flames, which was the spark that started the wildfire to begin with. i think the organizers and attendees of the back-up prom need to really try to look at this from other perspectives before they call the "victim".

bigotry: hey, you're still here?
sure, bigotry still exists, but i'm almost happy to be hearing about it. the news media has really started to shine a light on acts of bigotry and intolerance in america. it continues conversations and hopefully raises awareness that bigotry still exists. previous to the past 5 years, it hasn't really been considered an "issue" or news-worthy. i'm so happy perspective has arrived.

i grew up in a suburb of st. louis, in illinois. this is an area of the country where the kkk were still visible when i grew up. this is an area where it wasn't uncommon to hear racial slurs. this was not a very tolerant or open-minded community to grow up in.

i am asian american. growing up, i had been called many things, including "chink", "jap", "closed eyes", "yellow", and "oriental express" by children, teenagers, adults and the elderly. there were certainly students that liked me, and i don't know if anybody that said those things truly hated me based on my race. but, it wasn't pleasant. even worse, there was even a kid that was half-asian/half-caucasian that called me a "chink". on the bright side, i guess they weren't or couldn't attack my character.

going to college in chicago was a very different experience. while there were still kkk rally's in the suburbs, their presence and fear was not felt. what amazed me is that many of my caucasian friends did/do not believe, for a second, that bigotry or racism against minorities still exist in america today. regardless of my personal stories, or stories of other racially motivated acts in my community (which also has approximately 35% african american community), some of my college peers belief that racism and bigotry is american history and not american present did not waver.

today, i don't live in chicago. i live in detroit, where one of the first post-Jim Crow era hate crime was committed against Vincent Chin in 1982. more recently in national news, i hear about constance mcmillen, and reverends that refuse to marry inter-racial couples. it is a national shame to have these headlines describe the country we live in today, but i have to say that it gives me hope that bigotry, intolerance, and hate are news-worthy as despicable, shameful acts against society and humanity.

you may not have heard of lesbians being banned from prom or reverends that don't approve of inter-racial loving, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been around. now, it's right in front of you. in your backyard. maybe even your mirrors. now that you know its here, it's up to you on how to process or feel about it. ignore it. fight it. support it. to me, i'm just glad that at least it's an issue. thank goodness.