Bravo to a courageous young woman: Alysha Cosby
Although the Roman Catholic School claims to have a policy of nondiscrimination, the pregnant student was not allowed even to attend classes during the last few months of the school year. Alysha Cosby was instead required to study at home, due to “safety concerns.” This sounds suspiciously like the old “you show, you go” rule that was in full force back in the dark days before second wave feminism and Title IX.
No doubt it was also "safety concerns" that prompted school officials to deliver Alysha Cosby's diploma to her home and even to omit her name from the graduation program. The unwed father was apparently permitted to attend school for the full year. The unwed father was permitted to participate in the graduation.
He's a stud. She's a slut. Gawd, when are these male supremacists going to die off?
Banned from graduation for the crime of contributing the ovum instead of the sperm, Alysha Cosby waited until the end of the ceremony before bravely announcing her own name and walking proudly across the stage. Her courageous act of resistance was met with applause and cheers from some of the audience.
School officials had a different response. Unbelievably, Alysha’s mother and aunt were escorted out of the hall by the police!
Alysha’s mother, Sheila Cosby said: "I can't believe something like this is happening in 2005."
Many of us have been saying almost the exact same thing ever since 2000.
One thing for sure, about the only time we hear of outrages such as this one is when some brave soul draws a line in the sand and resists. (can you hear me, Newsweek?)
Thank you, Alysha Cosby.
Presumbably St. Jude Educational Institute, in Montgomery, Alabama, does not receive any federal funds. Else it would be guilty of violating Title IX. Yes, Virginia, private religious schools often do receive federal funds, so we can't be sure that St. Jude does not.
Title IX was passed by Congress on June 23, 1972. The civil rights law prohibits discrimination in education programs and activities that receive federal funds.
Before Title IX:
Female students were not allowed to take certain courses, such as auto mechanics
Male students could not take home economics
Female athletics generally consisted only of cheerleading
Most medical and law schools limited the number of women admitted to 15 or fewer per school
Many colleges and universities required women to have higher test scores and better grades than male applicants to gain admission
Women living on campus had curfews
Women faculty members were excluded from faculty clubs and encouraged to join faculty wives' clubs instead
Female school teachers often had to leave their jobs when having children
Pregnant and parenting students were forced to drop out, thus abandoning their education altogether
After 3 1/2 more years of Bush, this may well be our brave new world.
Via
Feministing
