History Main / PromIsForStraightKids

* Over two decades earlier, there was another case, this time in Texas, which involved two girls, Stephanie Salgado and Marie Hawkins, who actually were straight and had boyfriends, but their boyfriends didn't want to attend prom. Their school ''only'' sold couples' tickets, no individual tickets, so Stephanie and Marie decided they could share a ticket, but the school vetoed this, saying they didn't count as a couple[[note]]at the time, the school was, for reasons that weren't elaborated upon, insistent on keeping prom as an event exclusive to couples, which is also why there were no individual tickets to begin with[[/note]]. Eventually a judge overruled the school and ordered that they be allowed to attend, and unlike the 2010 case, there were no further problems.

* An earlier case in Texas involved two girls, Stephanie Salgado and Marie Hawkins, who actually were straight and had boyfriends, but their boyfriends didn't want to attend prom. Their school ''only'' sold couples' tickets, no individual tickets, so Stephanie and Marie decided they could share a ticket, but were blocked because they didn't meet the definition of a couple in the eyes of the school's prom committee. Eventually a judge overruled the school and ordered that they be allowed to attend, and unlike the 2010 case, there were no further problems.

* An earlier case in Texas involved two girls, Stephanie Salgado and Marie Hawkins, who actually were straight and had boyfriends, but their boyfriends didn't want to attend prom. Since the school ''only'' sold couples' tickets, no individual tickets, Stephanie and Marie decided to share a ticket, but were blocked because they didn't meet the definition of a couple in the eyes of the school's prom committee. Eventually a judge overruled the school and ordered that they be allowed to attend, and unlike the 2010 case, there were no further problems.

* An earlier case in Texas involved two girls who were actually straight and had boyfriends, but their boyfriends didn't want to attend, and their school only sold tickets for couples, not singles, so the pair decided to share a ticket, but were blocked because they didn't meet the definition of a couple. Eventually a judge ruled that they should be allowed to attend, and unlike the 2010 case, there were no further problems.

* In ''Film/{{Camp|2003}}'', the CampGay kid tried going to a school dance in drag, only to have his ticket thrown back at him. He later gets beaten up in the hallway.

* ''Series/QueerAsFolk'': Justin initially doesn't want to go to his prom because he thinks it's only for straight kids, then wants to go with Brian, and ends up asking Daphne to go with him as friends. Brian surprises Justin by showing up dressed to the nines and shares a wonderful dance with him...[[spoiler:and then Justin [[DownerEnding is gay-bashed and nearly dies]].]]

* ''Class Menagerie'' had Mikey reminiscing about the time his high school put on a rendition of ''Film/{{Grease}}'' expy musical ''Slicked'', where he had gotten stuck playing the nerd character. One of the scenes shown is the setup for the prom, where the announcer feels the need to clarify that only male-female couples are allowed at the dance, with the main character mocking the nerd character with an "guess you're out of luck". That Mikey himself actually is secretly gay didn't help matters.

* An earlier case in Texas involved two girls who were actually straight and had boyfriends, but their boyfriends didn't want to attend, and their school only sold tickets for couples, not singles, so the pair decided to share a ticket, but were blocked because they didn't meet the definition of a couple. Eventually a judge ruled that they should be allowed to attend, and unlike the 2010 case, they were allowed to attend and no further problems were observed.

* One particularly infamous case (which inspired the musical ''Theatre/TheProm'' mentioned above) was [[http://www.newnownext.com/lesbian-couple-banned-from-prom-told-maybe-theres-a-male-friend-who-can-take-you/04/2017/ when a school in Itawamba County, Mississippi]] barred two lesbian students in 2010 and even after the ACLU stepped in they STILL couldn't let it go so they set up a fake prom consisting of them and the special ed kids. Needless to say the school faced enormous backlash for being extremely cruel to both the couple and the special ed students and the girls pursued legal action.

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* Averted in ''Fanfic/{{Promstuck}}'', where every pairing is either a same-sex couple, a boy-girl-boy or girl-boy-girl [[OneTrueThreesome threesome]], or Dave and Terezi.
[[/folder]]

* Averted in ''Series/{{Class|2016}}'', in which nobody at the school objects to Charlie and Matteusz going as an open couple. Of course, the prom did then get attacked by alien monsters, but nobody was targeting them specifically.
* ''Series/DawsonsCreek'': When the prom committee tells Jack he isn't allowed to attend his prom with his boyfriend, his friends create an Anti-Prom instead.
* Averted on ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration'':
** Marco and Dylan go to the end-of-the-year semi-formal, which several characters refer to as prom, seemingly without any issues from either school staff members or classmates.
** In Season 10, Riley and Zane were on the ballot for Vegas Dance royalty (King and King, for them). They didn't win, but there is still Prom.
** Averted yet again in Season 4 of the sequel series ''Next Class'', where Zoe and Rasha win Prom Queens.
* ''Series/DropDeadDiva'': Jane tries to fight for the right for two girls to go to prom together, they sue but not in time for the prom so they make their own.
* Averted in ''Series/{{Glee}}''. Kurt attends with his boyfriend and Brittany can clearly be seen dancing with another girl at one point.
** However, Kurt was [[spoiler:[[SympatheticSue voted prom queen]] [[TeensAreMonsters by the student body]] [[{{Anvilicious}} apparently as]] [[PromWrecker a mean-spirited prank]]]], although he handles the situation well. And Santana believes that she lost the crown because she's a lesbian, but that doesn't seem to be factual.
** Earlier in the episode, Blaine and Burt try to discourage Kurt, not from going to the prom, but from wearing a kilt as part of his prom outfit. They explain that it's not that they think there's anything wrong with it, and that he should be able to wear what he likes... but both of them are afraid for his safety, thinking that if Kurt were to go wearing a "skirt", then he might be beaten up at some point.
** Blaine reveals that at the school he went to before Dalton, he asked the only other "out" gay boy in the school to the Sadie Hawkins dance. Considering they both got the shit beaten out of them, it didn't go so well.
** Next year's prom has Blaine and Kurt go together as well as Brittany and Santana as dates. There's no issue.

* Averted in ''Series/TheRealONeals''. Kenny is prepared to fight for his right to take a male date to Prom at his Catholic school, but finds that they've already discussed and approved it much earlier. The problem then shifts to the fact that Kenny is the ''only'' gay kid at the school, which means he doesn't actually have a guy to take in the first place.

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Completed averted in VisualNovel/MonsterProm, where the player character's gender doesn't restrict your romance options. In fact, you can even pick whatever gender you're comfortable with.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Averted in the podcast ''Podcast/TheBrightSessions'' with Caleb and Adam attending theirs in 2018. Their only concern is how they're going to impress each other with their promposal.
** But also played straight, when Mark described going to his prom in 2008 with a male friend as "a bit of a scandal." A case of TimeMarchesOn.
* Adorably averted in [[http://www.omocat-blog.com/post/67079004346/a-project-i-literally-did-overnight-gonna-make-it Omocat's "Pretty Boy"]], wherein one of the memories the titular [[{{Bishonen}} pretty boy]] and his [[StraightGay boyfriend]] (and later husband) make together is dancing at their prom.
* Averted in ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'' version 4 [[DevelopingDoomedCharacters pre-game]]. Brendan Wallace and Erik Lauren go to prom together, as do Sarah Xu and Reiko Ishida.
[[/folder]]

* Averted in ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' episode "Enchanting Grom Fright", where nobody bats an eye at there being a gay couple in the background at Hexside's prom equivalent. [[spoiler:Amity and Luz also attend together, though [[ObliviousToLove Luz]] was under the impression that they were simply going as friends.]]

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]
* ''Anime/DoubleDecker'' shows a variation in Max's backstory- she is unable to attend prom with her [[spoiler: transgender best friend and implied her FirstLove, notably while she is in a suit and her friend is in a dress. The discrimination that they faced goes on to fuel her own dislike of proms and similar gatherings, blaming it for the fall of Connor and Max's ascent as an IceQueen she is in the present.]]

[[folder: Comic Strips]]
* ''ComicStrip/FunkyWinkerbean'' - A spring 2012 storyline featured a same-sex couple wanting to attend the prom together and purchasing tickets. Roberta Blackburn, a conservative activist from Westview, learns what is happening and stages a protest to force school officials to deny entry of the couple into the prom. When a counter-demonstration is planned, principal Nate Green defuses a potentially explosive showdown by announcing that the gay students will be allowed to attend and that discrimination and intolerance will not be allowed in his hallways as long as he is principal.

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Film]]

* in ''Film/Camp2003'', the CampGay kid tried going to a school dance in drag, only to have his ticket thrown back at him. He later gets beaten up in the hallway.
* ''Prom Queen: The Mark Hall Story'' is a Canadian television film about Hall's successful legal fight to bring a same-sex date to his Catholic school prom.
* ''Film/{{GBF}}'' has this mostly played for laughs (half the people invoking the trope are gay or allies involved in an elaborate revenge plot), and condemns anyone who would invoke it seriously.

[[folder: Literature]]

* In ''[[Literature/DontCallMeIshmael Ishmael and the Hoops of Steel]]'', [[spoiler: Bill Kingsley]] initially doesn't want to bring a date to prom, because he doesn't want to make trouble for the school. However, Razz sets up a [[RunningGag Win-Win-Win-Win-situation]] by suggesting that [[spoiler: Bill and his date Jimmy]] officially go with two girls from Sally's school who were in the same situation and couldn't attend their own prom.

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]

* ''Series/KyleXY'': When Lori Trager uncovers a policy against same-sex couples at the school dance she organizes a protest and an alternative dance.
* ''Series/QueerAsFolk'': Justin initially doesn't want to go to his prom because he thinks it's only for straight kids, then wants to go with Brian, and ends up asking Daphne to go with him as friends. Brian surprises Justin by showing up dressed to the nines and shares a wonderful dance with him...[[spoiler:and then Justin [[DownerEnding is gay-bashed and nearly dies]].]]

** Earlier in the episode, Blaine and Burt try to discourage Kurt, not from going to the prom, but from wearing a kilt as part of his prom outfit. They explain that it's not that they think there's anything wrong with it, and that he should be able to wear what he likes...but both of them are afraid for his safety, thinking that if Kurt were to go wearing a "skirt", then he might be beaten up at some point.

* Averted on ''Series/{{Degrassi}}'' when Marco and Dylan go to the end-of-the-year semi-formal, which several characters refer to as prom, seemingly without any issues from either school staff members or classmates.
** Averted again in Season 10. Riley and Zane were on the ballot for Vegas Dance royalty (King and King, for them). They didn't win, but there is still Prom.
** Averted yet again in season four of ''Next Class'', where Zoe and Rasha win Prom Queens.
%%* Happened on ''Series/KyleXY''.
* After Kenny from ''Series/TheWarAtHome'' [[TransparentCloset finally came out of the closet]], he decided to go to prom with his boyfriend, but the school wouldn't allow it. This manages to get to the local news, only to lead to him getting taken by Child Services, seeing as the Golds weren't his actual parents.
* Happens on ''Series/EightSimpleRules'' when Kerry decides to show her support for gay people (even though she herself wasn't gay) by taking a girl to prom. A {{subversion}} occurs when it turns out her date was also doing the same thing, meaning both girls thought the other one was a lesbian.
* Lampshaded in the MTV series ''Series/TeenWolf''. Scott [=McCall=], who is straight, is forbidden to attend a dance but sneaks in anyway. He's spotted by a teacher, so he grabs his gay classmate for a dance. The teacher is too afraid of being thought of as homophobic to make a scene kicking Scott out if he's there with a boy, so Scott gets to stay at the dance.

* Averted in ''[[Series/Class2016 Class]]'', in which nobody at the school objects to Charlie and Matteusz going as an open couple. Of course, the prom did then get attacked by alien monsters, but nobody was targeting them specifically.
* ''Series/SwitchedAtBirth'': When Natalie brings her girlfriend Hilary to prom they're informed that because Hilary's in a tuxedo instead of a dress they can't go in (this violates the dress code). Although not due to their sexuality, it's clearly restrictive about gender expression (since Hilary doesn't wear dresses). Some of the other girls too wear tuxs in solidarity with them, then stage a prom of their own on the lawn outside. They also mention other same-sex couples being refused entry elsewhere.

* Played with in ''[[Theatre/EverybodysTalkingAboutJamie Everybody's Talking About Jamie]]'', as the issue isn't that Jamie is gay, but that he wants to come in drag (with the underlying implication that the objections are due to homophobia).
* The entire premise of ''Theatre/TheProm'' is this trope played completely (no pun intended) [[IncrediblyLamePun straight]].

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Webcomics]]
* ''Class Menagerie'' had Mikey reminiscing about the time his high school put on a rendition of ''Film/{{Grease}}'' expy musical ''Slicked'', where he had gotten stuck playing the nerd character. One of the scenes shown is the setup for the prom, where the announcer feels the need to clarify that only male-female couples are allowed at the dance, with the main character mocking the nerd character with an "guess you're out of luck". That Mikey himself actually is secretly gay didnt help matters.
* In ''WebComic/RockAndRiot'', the two gangs (all members queer) all want to go to prom, but the principal says that no one is allowed to flout the dress code (hence Rolly, a transgirl, isn't allowed to wear dresses) and no one can attend with an inappropriate partner. Everyone is understandably distresses.

[[folder: Web Original]]
* Averted in ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'' version 4 [[DevelopingDoomedCharacters pre-game]]. Brendan Wallace and Erik Lauren go to prom together, as do Sarah Xu and Reiko Ishida.
* Adorably averted in [[http://www.omocat-blog.com/post/67079004346/a-project-i-literally-did-overnight-gonna-make-it Omocat's "Pretty Boy"]], wherein one of the memories the titular [[{{Bishonen}} pretty boy]] and his [[StraightGay boyfriend]] (and later husband) make together is dancing at their prom.

[[folder: Western Animation]]

[[folder: Real Life]]

** It isn't uncommon for schools to sell discount tickets for couples - [[DoubleStandard provided those couples consist of one boy and one girl.]]