So allow me a wistful commentary on lessons learned as the sun sets on this phase of my life:

A ship that sits in a harbor is safe,

But that's not what ships are for.

Besides there are whoa worse things in the world than my little heartache. Like this email from the ACLU confirming the old adage that Mean People Suck:

We've told you about the ACLU lawsuit on behalf of Constance McMillen, the Mississippi student whose school canceled the prom rather than let her attend with her girlfriend. Last month, a federal judge in Mississippi ruled that the school violated Constance's First Amendment rights. However, the judge was satisfied by the school's promise that Constance would be welcome at a private prom, so he did not force the school to put its own prom back on.

What happened next is shocking.

Last Friday, Constance went to a private dance that was billed as the school prom. The event—attended by Constance, her date and five other students—was essentially a decoy event. According to news reports, virtually all of the other students went to a parent-sponsored prom to which Constance was not invited.

Speak out against the pain and hurt that intolerance causes.

So many people have contacted us because they are outraged by this situation and want to do something. I can tell you from my conversations with Constance that there's nothing she wants more than for these kinds of hurtful actions to end for students all across the country.

There's a way we can all help Constance with that goal— by demanding that Congress pass the Student Non-Discrimination Act.

The Student Non-Discrimination Act would be the first comprehensive federal prohibition against discrimination in public schools based on a student's sexual orientation or gender identity.

Please help make schools safer for all students like Constance by urging your Representative to support the Student Non-Discrimination Act.

Discrimination and harassment are an unacceptable daily reality for too many LGBT students all across the country. If outrageous experiences like the one Constance McMillen has been through are going to end, we have to respond.

Thank you for standing with us.

Sincerely,

James Esseks
Director, LGBT Project

P.S. We understand the outrage people feel around stories like this. Instead of directing outrage at the people in Mississippi, let's channel our outrage into action by getting the Student Non-Discrimination Act passed.

When is someone gonna truss that porker Haley Barbour and send him up to Memphis to be barbequed? (Although I do feel a little sorry for him... I mean, who named dat chile Haley? Like Haley Mills? or what?

And I thought Mississippians were nice! LIke my Nanny used to say, "Oh, pshaw!"