Those who know me well know that I’m a big musical theater fan. It started when I was eight years old, listening repeatedly to the West Side Story album while recovering from an illness, to going with my parents to musicals at the historic Pioneer Memorial Theater in Salt Lake City, to being a season ticket holder for many years at Casa Manana and Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth and Fair Park and the Winspear Opera House in Dallas. So, naturally, the story of Sherman High School’s recent production of Oklahoma caught my eye.[i]

For those who missed it, Sherman High School in North Texas decided to perform Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma as its school musical. But when the theater department cast a transgender youth as one of the leads, things got contentious. According to the school district’s administration, Oklahoma’s cast and even the musical itself were not OK.

The controversy centered around Max Hightower. School administration determined that Max, who is transgender, could not play a male part. And suddenly and unexpectedly, Max’s plight became a rallying cry for supporters of LGBT+ inclusivity and those trying to keep the imposition of Christian doctrine out of public schools.

But all Max wanted to do was do what he loved—perform.

In explaining the school district’s new policy, the district’s fine arts coordinator emailed parents, saying, “Roles will be assigned based on gender where males are cast as males and females are cast as females.” This meant that Max’s part would be taken away, and several young women lost their parts, as they were cast in male roles due to a shortage of male actors.

Max felt defeated, but Max’s mom, Amy, decided to fight back. She wrote in a Facebook post: “What Sherman ISD did today is wrong. Taking kids out of places where they feel comfortable, safe and where they fit in is wrong. Period. I’ll probably lose some friends and maybe even some family over this post and that is okay, but what I’m not going to lose is my unwavering support for my child.”

And suddenly, the story became national news.

Supporters lined up on both sides. An email to the school district superintendent supporting the school district’s decision said: “The student that lost their role in the play subscribes to an ideology that is a direct attack on the Christian values that we hold so dear. Now is a great time for men and women of faith like yourself to stand up and reclaim the name of the Lord in public education settings.”

When I heard about that email, I thought of another movie musical that takes head-on LGBT+ issues—The Prom.[ii] Although it is not based on a specific event, the people behind the musical had heard of repeated instances where same-sex couples had been banned from attending their high school proms. But many plot details came from the experiences of Constance McMillen in Mississippi, who was not allowed to bring her girlfriend to their high school prom. Like Sherman’s Oklahoma, the story gained national attention, with the ACLU suing on McMillen’s behalf. A federal court awarded her $35,000 in damages and required the school district to agree to a non-discrimination policy.

But it was not an entirely happy ending for Constance McMillen. She ended up moving to a different school due to harassment from her school peers.

The people behind The Prom had a purpose in mind. One of the film’s writers, Chad Beguelin, explained: “Our show isn’t about ostracizing people. Our show is not about telling people, ‘You are wrong.’ Again, it’s about listening and empathy and accepting…. It’s about love.” Ryan Murphy, the film’s director, posted on Instagram: “#THEPROM is for anyone who ever felt like an outsider, and for anyone who just wants to be their authentic self – which I think is a universal conceit. My greatest Christmas wish is that this movie brings a sense of hope and community to anyone who needs it in these troubling times.”

Here is one of my favorite scenes from The Prom:

I don’t have the space here to discuss the religious arguments against the LGBT+. But like The Prom, I hope we can “Love Thy Neighbor” enough to empathize and understand them and any other person marginalized by society for just being who they consider to be their authentic selves.

I admire the courage of anyone who “comes out,” admitting they are different from most of the rest of society, particularly those in groups who have been considered sinful and even perverted. Here is another scene from The Prom:

The Prom is currently streaming on Netflix.

Thankfully, most of us who are cisgender now know enough about gays and lesbians that we realize they are who they are and should be able to love who they love. But the same probably can’t be said about transgender people. At least not yet. But that might also be changing as their existence and acceptance become more widespread. Even the religion I was raised in, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a high-demand, conservative religion, has approved transgender baptisms, allows them to partake of the sacrament and hold certain positions in the Church’s organization, even though it has proclaimed from the pulpit that gender is eternal.

One of the best movies about transgender people is The Danish Girl,[iii] a fictional story inspired by Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. The film traces how Lili evolves to become a transgender pioneer. Here is the trailer:  

The Danish Girl can be rented on Amazon Prime Video.

Now, back to Oklahoma and Max.

The school board not only disallowed casting females at birth in male roles but considered the play itself to be objectionable, presumably because certain cast members had to kiss and a few lines contained sexual innuendos. But as a musical theater buff, I find it challenging to come up with a play that reflects traditional values more than Oklahoma.   

LGBT+ advocates rallied to support Max. Those supporters filled the hall at the next school board meeting, where they criticized the school board for its discrimination against transgender youth. One of Max’s classmates pointed out that Sherman High had performed Oklahoma just a few years back and did so without raising anyone’s concern. The concern only came when Max was cast. LGBT+ supporters also condemned the board for attempting to destroy one of the few refuges for these marginalized kids—the theater. They also reminded the board that men had played women’s parts in Shakespeare’s time.

Through it all, Max wondered what the school board was afraid of. He was not a monster or a protester looking for a platform. He plays the ukelele, practices American sign language, and feeds stray cats.

Under pressure, the school board reversed its position but, at first, only approved the performance of Oklahoma Jr., a stripped-down version intended for elementary and middle school performers. Ultimately, the school board changed its position again and allowed the play to go on as originally planned.

The battle for transgender acceptance and legal rights goes on in Texas and many other states. But Max got his chance to perform. His reward for his courage in all of this? Standing ovations, which is all he ever wanted in the first place.

---

[i] Much of the information and comments in this post about the production of Oklahoma is from an article by Talia Richman in The Dallas Morning News, January 28, 2024.

[ii] The Prom:

• Production Companies: Dramatic Forces, Storykey, and Netflix
• Director: Ryan Murphy
• Screenwriters: Bob Martin, Chad Beguelin, and Matt Sklar
• Starring: Meryl Streep, James Corden, and Nicole Kidman
• Release date: December 11, 2020

[iii] The Danish Girl:

• Production Companies: Working Title Films, Pretty Pictures, and ReVision Pictures
• Director: Tom Hooper
• Screenwriters: Lucinda Coxon and David Ebershoff
• Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander, and Amber Heard
• Release date: January 22, 2016