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Long Island Catholic high school senior barred from bringing her ex-girlfriend to the prom can come by herself, find a male date - or just stay home.
Angelina Lange, 17, of Bay Shore, was turned down by St. Anthony's High School administrators when she asked about a same-sex couple attending the annual event.
Brother Gary Cregan, principal of the Roman Catholic school, said the decision was nothing personal - just a reflection of the school's religious tenets.
"Our Catholic faith specifies that marriage involve a man and a woman, and our policies on dating must reflect that," Cregan told MSNBC.com. "We mean no malice or disrespect."
Lange, a good student who transferred into St. Anthony's as a junior, isn't challenging the school's decision - not that she would have much leverage.
As a private institution, St. Anthony's can enforce its own restrictions on school events. But local gay rights activist
James Fallarino told MSNBC.com that the decision was wrong-headed.
"The message is that the school doesn't really care about its students, and that's not a good message," said Fallarino, of the Long Island Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Services Network.