This one was in the news recently:
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A high school yearbook advisor wouldn’t allow a photo of
two bi girls kissing unless the yearbook staff got
permission from the girls’ parents. They didn’t get
permission in time so the photo wasn’t included.
Photos of male/female couples kissing did not need the
parents permission to be published.
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So what do you think…should they have printed the photo?
I personally would say ‘no’, but I would also say the same
to photos of male/female kisses because kissing in public
is rude.
To be honest, the idea of parental permission for that sort of thing makes a lot of sense to me.
The girls were probably minors, and depending on the context of the kiss, they might not be ready for the potential firestorm of controversy that the picture might start. It’s not just the two girls who will be involved in this- it’s their families, the school, the community, and basically everyone else who chooses to be involved.
My parents have gone through a lot of harassment because of my open lesbianism. It’s not been fun, and I think that if a picture of me kissing Quietgirl were scheduled to appear in the yearbook, we’d want to have a conversation about it and give it a yes or no.
I’d like to know if the girls knew about it, if they were out to their families, and the context of the kiss, though.
I also wonder if they’d even consider running it if it were two boys kissing. Somehow I doubt it.
As much as it should be that same sex kisses should be included with heterosexual ones in a yearbook without comment, that’s not realistic at this point.
Thinking back to my yearbooks I can’t recall a single picture that showed anyone kissing. If I remember correctly our student’s handbook prohibited kissing on school grounds.
We actually did have a picture of two girls kissing, celebrating a good swim meet happy hug sort of stuff. Both of the girls were on the staff as well.
Romantic kissing we didn’t include, happy friend kissing we did. (Or happy teacher kissing, or happy puppy kissing, etc.) but in general we tried to keep the tone of it light.
I’m of the opinion that if the oposite sex couples’ kissing didn’t need parental permission, then the same sex couples’ shouldn’t either. What if little Angela’s parents discover through the yearbook that she never really broke up with Billy, who they hate? Or Josh’s conservative christian parents see a side bar on the Spring Formal page called PimpMaster complete with pictures of him slobbering over four different girls at the dance? If the yearbook doesn’t ask for parental permission on hetero pics they shouldn’t on homo. Narrow minded people will always find something to get their panties in a bunch about.
[QUOTEIf I remember correctly our student’s handbook prohibited kissing on school grounds.[/QUOTE]
Yuck. Did your school’s dress code also require you to wear a chastity belt?
I think showing a same sex kiss in the Yearbook is a swell idea. Years later, when you look back at it, it’ll remind you of what a gay old time you had in school!
I think kissing at my school is against the rules too, but people still do it. Maybe it isn’t against the rules… I’m not sure, to tell you the truth. I think having same sex kisses in the yearbook would be a great idea. It would be a good way to show people that things are changing, and that you can’t stop the change. It’s also a good way for people to stand up for what they believe in.
And i wouldn’t mind having some lesbian action in my yearbook, either. And plus, if you don’t like it, who said you had to look at it?
I don’t suppose either of you boys would care to see a girl/girl couple as anything but mastrubation fodder?
I know I’m being oversensitive, but it’s incredibly frustrating and offensive to get a constant barrage of comments like that. I have sex with women because I’m a lesbian. I’m not doing it for the outside world or the straight guys who keep on asking to watch.
I agree with Myrnalene, actually–why have it in a yearbook at all? But if it’s gonna be in there, the same rules should apply to same-sex kisses as to opposite-sex kisses.
And for the record, my high school didn’t even allow holding hands, let alone kissing–no “displays of affection” were permitted. Maybe they were afraid we’d get all excited and screw in the caffeteria or something.
My high school doesn’t allow kissing at all (but then, the student handbook also says “Students may not wear clothes.”, thanks to misplaced punctuation).
As far as the OP, I believe the same standards should be applied to same sex kissing/PDAs as to hetero PDAs. Unrealistic, but anything less is hypocrisy.
Well, I will be oversensitive right along with you, andygirl. I don’t think it’s really necessary for there to be “man, I’d love to see that!” comments at any allusion to physical involvement between two women.
As for the OP, I don’t think there should be any kissing show in yearbooks at all. I don’t care to watch other people sucking face, and I wouldn’t want anyone watching me doing the same.
Ha ha. Perhaps you haven’t been in a school or an office recently but there are pretty good reasons for having certain rules. Even those that sound really really stupid. There are plenty of people, teenagers especially, who would just go overboard and make out in the hallways and cafateria. I think a no kissing rule is pretty reasonable.
