i think thats horrible every1 should be able to see their picture in there yearbook no matter wat its not even that big of a deal about the dress they should be able to wear whatever they want its a free country

I thought she was a dude from the picture. Haha...is it weird to call a chick hot when she looks so much like a dude? XD

She didn't wanna wear the dress. Why is it such a big deal? Like people have said, she wore the tux didn't she? It's not as if she showed up in shorts and a jersey.

I mean, I understand that the school had rules. But I don't think she should be forced to wear something she's not comfortable with.

Of course it was intentional. This is what bigots do.

I may not like what she was doing, but she was within her legal rights.

On the other hand, there was a written and published rule defining acceptable dress for yearbook photos, and she knew the rules.

The ACLU is involved and it could go all the way to SCOTUS

correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you guys have a constitution that guarantees everyone the right to individual self expresstion? if so, why are schools teaching the exact opposite: that self expresstion is bad and conformity rules?

You don't think schools have the right to determine what is appropriate behavior and not?
It should be left up to the kids?

to a point yes it should be left to the kids. As long as the kids arn't breaking any laws such as going to class nude or something. but basic expresstion, such as being able to ware a cross or express their own gender identity should be left up to each student equally. The problem with "appropriate behavior" is that these things change with time, for example ancient rome under the christains banned men from wearing two-legged pants because this was seen as "barbaric" and "feminine." I'm sure most men today (who enjoy wearing jeans) would say this policy was ridicules, maybe some day we will see this policy as equally ridicules.

We agree on everything except 'gender identity'. She is a female. It does not matter she likes other girls, she is a girl herself. Expecting her to follow the rules and put a dress on for a photo is not asking too much.

this is bad. i mean seriously why would they do that... its just not right.

Disgusting and disgraceful!

Thats wrong. I would have pressed the issue. I think as long as its in ONE of the dress codes, wether male or female, it should have been aloud.

How far back in history is this high school in? Women are not supposed to be expected to wear certain clothes these days ( unless they are Muslim ) that is a thing of the past. You would have not gotten me to dress in a so called "proper" feminine outfit. I have always preferred slacks to dresses and there is nothing wrong with that. She was at least holding on to some traditional wear ( tuxedo ) and did not just show up in ratty jeans ( or would that have been acceptable ).

I don't have a problem with how you dress. Geesh, people are quibbling about the wrong things.

Personally, I think most people would think she'd look stupid in a tux, so if that's her wish, so be it. What can you really complain about beyond that?

Some people here are applauding the school for saying "rules are rules"; I'm not there, not in the least, in fact, were I on the Board, I'm sure I would have advocated for a more flexible policy; but, assuming the Board's decision was motivated by a desire for uniformity so as to forestall a raft of distracting "personal statements" being made via the Yearbook Picture, I'm hardly critical of the school for doing so. A dress code for the Yearbook Picture? Not an unprecedented occurrence. Ms. Sturgis decides to make an issue of it. Swell, that's her right, and, on one level, I congratulate her for it, that level being having the guts to stand up for your convictions. However, if there wasn't a substantial risk of what thereafter took place actually occurring, what would she have demonstrated? Well, since coming out of the closet is not a big thing anymore, it's not that kind of courage either. At some point in time Ms. Sturgis's fans are going to have to come to grips with the fact that, at some level, her refusal is a form of petulance and her critics have a right to say "sorry, kid, majority rules". DeTocqueville warned America about the "tyranny of the majority"; I don't think he was thinking about Yearbook dress codes when he was doing so, however.

Hey, let's just toss out all the rules. Let's act just like Congress and let the rules be damned. Doing this country great so far. They let you atheists take God out of the schools, what else do you want? Just because a kid is proud to be gay, doesn't afford them any special rights or privileges. I applaud the school for standing on its laurels'
peace

rules are rules, no matter how stupid we think they are.

can we try to change them? sure we can! go for it! try to change them!
major kudos if you get them to change the rules!
but until they change, we have to follow them. even if they *are* completely absurd.

It's Sexist, I Don't feel comfortable In dresses at all, and I only wear Skirts if i wear pants underneath. This Article Should Have NOTHING to do with if she was gay or not. She Doesn't Want to wear a Dress, and it's Not like she Wanted to take her picture in jeans In a t-shirt, She Was just going to Wear a tux, something She'd Feel comfortable in, and wouldn't Mind have it in a yearbook. Some Times I wonder if we as people are going backwards on civil rights, not forward.

Is there any particular reason she did not just do what the rules tell her and wear the dress other than to gain attention or cause controversy?