If one person steps out of line, then we'll punish everyone!

Just a few weeks after Catholic Charities in Washington, DC decided to punish all employees by no longer offering spousal health benefits, a move prompted by DC's adoption of same-sex marriage, now a school district in Mississippi has decided to cancel the prom because a lesbian student wanted to bring her girlfriend.
This story saddens me. What is the message here? The message from the superintendent of the school district is clear: the prom has been canceled and 'ruined for everyone' because the superintendent doesn't approve of a 'lesbian lifestyle.' The superintendent's message of intolerance is shocking and disturbing.
In the current political environment where school curriculum is being scrutinized more closely by the media (thanks NCLB!), shouldn't we also focus our attention on the actions of the administrators? The superintendent in this case should be fired and barred from school administration. I'm outraged by this story not only because the victim is a lesbian but also because the school administrators are displaying an unbelievable degree of intolerance. The question everyone should ask is: who will the next target be?

Like cutting off your nose to spite your face

Having grown up Catholic it was difficult for me to accept my homosexuality. I am sure there are many Catholics who will say that the Catholic church is all about love and acceptance. I don't bother arguing with these people because believers get downright irritable when confronted with the truth. My experience with the Catholic church was unpleasant. I got over it, I moved on, but I will never forget the pain the organization inflicted on my psyche as a young adult. In yet another action designed to alienate Catholic practice from Catholic marketing hype, the church this week decided to eliminate all spousal benefits for the employees of Catholic Charities in Washington DC. Why? So that they wouldn't have to extend those benefits to employees in same-sex marriages. The Washington Post is just one of the media outlets covering the story.
When I first overheard part of this story on the radio, I just assumed it was being misreported and that Catholic Charities was just revoking spousal benefits for same-sex coupled employees. But no, instead they have decided to cut off their collective apostolic noses to spite their ultra-conservative faces. As the former executive director of the organization points out, Catholic Charities is going to have a difficult time recruiting and retaining any employees without offering spousal benefits. All I can say is: good luck with that!