(photo courtesy of B Hayes)On April 23rd, B Hayes (they/he) was turned away from attending prom at Nashville Christian School because they were wearing a suit.
B’s Instagram post outlining what occurred sparked outrage across Nashville and the rest of the country.
The school handbook reads: “All students should choose Banquet attire that is appropriate for modesty and consistent with the Biblical principles to guide student behavior and the statement of faith of Nashville Christian School. Students who do not adhere to these expectations may be asked to leave the event.”
The handbook also says “Students may not attend banquet with a student of the same gender/sex.”
There’s nothing about being banned from prom for wearing pants.
As a member of the Nashville LGBTQ+ community himself, alt-pop singer-songwriter MORGXN pioneered a group of other artists and activists including Brandi Carlile, Sara Bareilles, Jason Isbell, Lucius, Allison Russell, Busy Phillips, Margo Price, Butch Walker, Ben Folds, and more to create a video in support of B.
MORGXN partnered with Together Collective and ‘anyone who has felt othered’ to join forces and stand up for LGBTQ+ youth, but most importantly, for B.
“When I saw the high school student B. Hayes was turned away from their prom for wearing a suit – my heart broke,” says MORGXN.
“Knowing the story of being othered by someone else and wishing my own inner child could see what it is like to feel seen and supported… I sent out a call to artists all over and was blown away by the response. B – you are so loved. Your story has and will inspire a generation. Shine your light. Never forget there is a world of people waiting to love you as you are right now.”
A GoFundMe campaign was launched to throw “the ultimate prom for B.”
AB Hillsboro Village will host an inclusive prom for B and their friends on May 6th. R&B artist Tone Smith will do a private performance at the event.
The video is soundtracked by MORGXN’s recent single, “Beacon,” which is about finding hope in the darkest of times. The song is an important reminder that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even if we can’t always see it – a coincidentally fitting tune given the circumstances.