Gay teens fight to attend prom – and win

“All Raymond Tullier, a high school junior, and his boyfriend Nicholas Newport, a sophomore, wanted was to go to their school prom together, drink punch and dance with their friends. But when the assistant principal, Lindy Gill, got wind of their plans, she immediately revoked their tickets,” according to website Queerty.com.

Towleroad.com reported, “Two gay high school students in a tiny Louisiana town reportedly attended their prom together this weekend, and the school administrator who tried to bar them from doing so may face disciplinary action.

“Raymond Tullier, an 18-year-old sophomore at French Settlement High School, planned to take his boyfriend, sophomore Nicholas Newport, to Saturday’s prom. French Settlement, a distant suburb southeast of Baton Rouge, has a population of just 1,100.”

Raymond texted his mother asking for help, and then the ‘fun’ began.

“Babin also contacted WBRZ, which in turn reached out to the district superintendent. At that point, according to WBRZ, ‘school administrators changed their tune,’” said Towleroad.com

“To make matters worse, Babin's son had texted his mother to tell her of his predicament and was then suspended for using his phone in school, and suspended students aren't allowed to attend school functions,” said the website, quoting a story on WBRZ2 in Baton Rouge.

“Mother Tamblie Babin said she contacted the station after calling her son Raymond's school. ‘I asked her why Raymond couldn't take his boyfriend to prom and she said that they didn't allow same sex going to prom together [because] it was against school regulations,’ Babin told the station,” said the Advocate website article.

Advocate’s report concludes, “The station phoned Livingston Parish school superintendent John Watson to ask about French Settlement High School's policies, and Watson said he wouldn't tolerate anyone in the school district being discriminated against. Shortly thereafter the boys, who had bought matching tuxedos, were informed that they would be allowed to attend the school event.

“Sophomore Nicholas Newport, who was Raymond's prom date, explained that being inclusive is important: "We are all humans here — it doesn't matter what race, what gender, what ethnicity, [or] what orientation. It doesn't matter — it's just a person."

“As for Babin, the experience presents another set of lessons: ‘You've got to back your kid 100 percent regardless if they are gay or straight or anything.’"

The Gayly – March 8, 2016 @ 9:35 a.m.