ABC Family is developing a made-for-tv
movie based on the real-life discrimination faced by lesbian teen
Constance McMillen.
McMillen, with the assistance of the
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), sued her rural Mississippi
school district in March after it decided to cancel the annual prom
dance for junior and senior students rather than allow McMillen to
attend the event with her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo.
School officials in July agreed to pay
the teen $35,000 in damages plus attorneys fees and adopt a policy
prohibiting discrimination. Officials, however, did not admit to any
wrongdoing in their offer.
The case drew nationwide attention,
turning the teen into an overnight gay rights celebrity. She served
as a grand marshal for New York's Gay Pride Parade.
According
to Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood, ABC Family is in the early
stages of developing the film. The movie is being helmed by openly
gay producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. John Gray,
creator-executive producer of CBS' Ghost Whisperer, will write
the script and is expected to direct.
Previous gay-related productions by the
Zadan-Meron team include GLAAD Media Award-winners Serving in
Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story and What Makes A
Family.