Friday, February 25, 2005

Where have you gone, Marlena and Greta?

Down in Fleming Island, Florida, it's not a good idea to be an outre lesbian. (Actually, it's probably not a good idea to be any kind of lesbian in Fleming Island.) Ask Kelli Davis. Her picture can't appear in the Fleming Island High School Yearbook because she is dressed in a tuxedo. The high school principal yanked the photo, and he was backed up by the Clay County School Board.

School officials say their decision has nothing to do with sexual preference, but rather, with gender: Kelli had no right to dress in "boys'" clothes because she is a girl. Even Kelli's mother has Jell-O in her convictions. She made it clear that this wasn't a case of "gay rights," but of "human rights." Whatever. If it was good enough for Judy Garland, it ought to be good enough for Fleming Island.

Apparently, there is no written dress code for the photos, but school officials are allowed to set the standards for them. God only knows what would happen if the picture were to appear in the yearbook. 15-year-old girls would rush out to buy Shane wigs and join Amelie Mauresmo's fan club, and 15-year-old boys would be crushed over the knowledge that Kelli wasn't hot for them, after all. Sounds like anarchy to me.