Arkansas Girl Allowed to Wear Tuxedo in Yearbook Picture

By Bianca Phillips -
 

Sarah Lloyd

Sarah Lloyd, an openly-gay Marion High School senior, will be allowed to wear a tuxedo in her yearbook photo, thanks to a Tuesday night vote by the Crittenden County School Board in Arkansas.

Lloyd had requested to be allowed to wear the tux in her senior photo instead of the drapes traditionally worn by female students.

Her superintendent, Don Johnston, initially denied Lloyd's request.

Johnston told WREG: "If we got away from that what would be next? Would we have someone who was a baseball player and say I want to take my picture wearing a uniform? Or someone who says I'm a cowboy. I want to wear a cowboy outfit."

But since the school voted in favor of Lloyd's wardrobe preference, her tuxedo picture will run in her senior yearbook.

Last year, a Wesson, Mississippi high school senior Ceara Sturgis was denied the right to wear a tuxedo in her yearbook photo by school officials at Wesson Attendance Center. The school actually printed yearbooks without even including Sturgis' name. Now she's working with the American Civil Liberties Union to sue the school for violating her 14th Amendment rights, which prohibits discrimination based on sex and sex stereotypes. Sturgis served as one of the grand marshal's in this year's Mid-South Pride Parade.

-end-