Glee Will Tackle The Gay Prom Date Issue

Spoiler alert! Glee creator Ryan Murphy says that gaybies Kurt and Blaine will try and go to the prom together. “That story is going to be ripped from the headlines,” declares Murphy. “Can you imagine two boys wanting to go to the prom in Ohio?” Well, we can imagine two girls trying to attend the prom in Mississippi, that’s for sure. Last year, Constance McMillen’s school decided to cancel the prom instead of allowing the lesbian student to wear a tuxedo and bring her girlfriend. (In the end, Constance got to meet Ellen Degeneres and received a $30,000 scholarship.) Then there was Derrick Martin, from Georgia, who was allowed to take his boyfriend to prom, but was kicked out of his parents’ house due to “media attention.”

Tuesday night’s episode of Glee — in which Kurt experienced his first same-sex kiss — had the highest ratings of any other show that night. Over ten million viewers watched two high school boys lock lips, and we can expect similar numbers for a prom episode. But when it comes to issues that gay teens face, the prom is just one of many. As the Fbomb’s Nellie B. wrote last year, regarding Constance McMillen:

Prom, and its paraphernalia, sound a lot like marriage. And yes, queers should be able to participate without fear. But as in marriage, some of us would rather not give hundreds of dollars to the prom-industrial complex-or the marriage industrial complex-and choose to commemorate the culmination of secondary education differently. Some of us like to opt-out of capitalist, patriarchy-based institutions altogether. I’d rather work for queer kids to be safe in school every day, not just on prom night.

Excellent point. But in terms of making young gays feel accepted and safe, isn’t exposing Americans to the kissing and prom date stuff a good start?

Glee’s Ryan Murphy Says Blaine and Kurt Will Go to Prom [Vulture]

‘Glee’ Scoop: Blaine And Kurt Try To Go To Prom! Plus, More Spoilers From PaleyFest[EW]
Fox Network Tops Tuesday Rating With Glee [Reuters]