Indiana Town Launches Gay Panic Over Prom

A group of students, parents, and a teacher in Sullivan, Ind., say they want a separate high school prom that would bar gay students from attending.

Members of the group and their supporters met Sunday at the Sullivan First Christian Church to discuss plans of a separate "traditional" prom, Terre Haute TV station WTWO reported.

"If we can get a good prom then we can convince more people to come and follow what they believe," said Sullivan High School student Kynon Johnson.

"We want to make the public see that we love the homosexuals, but we don't think it's right nor should it be accepted," said Bonnie McCammon, another student.

Among the supporters is Diana Medley, a special education teacher at a nearby school who does not believe anyone is born gay and is defending the plan for an alternate prom.

"I believe that it was life circumstances and they chose to be that way; God created everyone equal," she said. "Homosexual students come to me with their problems, and I don't agree with them, but I care about them. It's the same thing with my special needs kids, I think God puts everyone in our lives for a reason."

When asked if she thinks gay people have a purpose in life, Medley said, "No, I honestly don't. Sorry, but I don't. I don't understand it. A gay person isn't going to come up and make some change unless it's to realize that it was a choice and they're choosing God," Medley told WTWO.

Jim Davis, an adult who attended the meeting, said people should not judge the LGBT students because "Christ didn't. He came here to save the world, not to condemn it."

A Facebook page, Support the Sullivan High School Prom for All Students, created in defense of LGBT students, currently has more than 4,000 likes. The Facebook page in favor of the separate prom was taken down Monday morning.

Gay rights advocate Dan Savage also wrote in his blog about the separate prom development:

"There's no way to stop the haters at Sullivan High School from holding an independent prom for the special bigoted kids. But here's what we can do: we can make a noise so loud enough that all the queer kids at Sullivan High School hear it. Those kids need to know that there are people -- a lot of people -- who think this shit is wrong."