Mississippi school faces trouble after excluding tux-wearing lesbian from yearbook

A student at a public high school in Copiah County, Miss. is fighting back after being excluded from her high school yearbook for wearing men's clothing in her class photo.

On openly lesbian student at Wesson Attendance Center's high school in Wesson, Miss., Ceara Sturgis (no relation to this writer) does not own any girls' clothing and chose to have her senior class picture taken wearing a tuxedo, WLBT reports. Because of that, the school has informed her that the photo will not be included in the yearbook.

"It makes me feel like I'm not important enough," Sturgis told WLBT reporter Katina Rankin. "It's like I never even went there."

WLBT reports that the Copiah County schools do not have an official policy on yearbook photos, with the decision on whether to exclude any left up to individual school officials. However, the Wesson Attendance Center does have a nondiscrimination policy that includes sex as well as race.

Ronald Greer, the principal of the Wesson Attendance Center, declined to comment to WLBT on his decision to exclude Sturgis.

The TV station obtained a copy of Wesson's 2008 yearbook that featured photos of something called the "Backwards Beauty and Beau Pageant," which involves students dressing as members of the other sex in jest.

Sturgis's mother has hired an attorney. WLBT also reports that the American Civil Liberties Union is getting involved in the case.

(Still photo of Ceara Sturgis in her tux from WLBT video.)