Aaron Fricke
Encyclopedia
Aaron Fricke is a gay rights activist. He was born January 25, 1962 in Providence
, Rhode Island
. He is best known for the pivotal
case in which he successfully sued his high school
for not allowing him to bring his boyfriend, Paul Guilbert, to the senior prom
at Cumberland High School
in Cumberland, Rhode Island
.
District court. The presiding judge, Raymond J. Pettine, ruled in Fricke's favor, ordering the school to not only allow him and his partner to attend as a couple but also to provide enough security to ensure their safety. The case received considerable media attention, and news camera crews filmed and interviewed the couple at the dance.
The case set a precedent
that has been used across the United States to establish a legal right for students to bring same sex partners to school proms and other school social events.
. That book was published shortly after Walter Fricke's death from cancer
in 1989.
Fricke's archive material, covering the period of writing the two books, is held in the San Francisco Public Library
.
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. He is best known for the pivotal
Fricke v. Lynch
Fricke v. Lynch, 491 F.Supp. 381 , was a decision in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island that upheld the right of a gay student to bring a same-sex date to a high school dance. The Court ruled that existing free speech doctrine protected gay and lesbian students'...
case in which he successfully sued his high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
for not allowing him to bring his boyfriend, Paul Guilbert, to the senior prom
Senior Prom
Senior Prom is a still-classified United States Air Force program to develop a stealth unmanned aerial vehicle for reconnaissance purposes , designed to be launched from a Lockheed DC-130, B-52 Stratofortress, or B-1 Lancer.-Origin and development:The program began in the late 1970s after the...
at Cumberland High School
Cumberland High School (Rhode Island)
Cumberland High School is a public school located in Cumberland, Rhode Island. In its current location since 1962, the school currently serves about 1,600 students.-History:The current building was built in 1961 and renovated in 1973...
in Cumberland, Rhode Island
Cumberland, Rhode Island
Cumberland is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States, incorporated in 1746. The population was 33,506 at the 2010 census.-History:...
.
Court case
Shortly after he came out in 1980, Fricke began seeing another male student. Fricke decided to bring him as his date to the prom. When the high school informed Fricke he could not bring him to the prom, he filed suit in U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
District court. The presiding judge, Raymond J. Pettine, ruled in Fricke's favor, ordering the school to not only allow him and his partner to attend as a couple but also to provide enough security to ensure their safety. The case received considerable media attention, and news camera crews filmed and interviewed the couple at the dance.
The case set a precedent
Precedent
In common law legal systems, a precedent or authority is a principle or rule established in a legal case that a court or other judicial body may apply when deciding subsequent cases with similar issues or facts...
that has been used across the United States to establish a legal right for students to bring same sex partners to school proms and other school social events.
Writing
Fricke later wrote of his experience in a book, Reflections of a Rock Lobster: A Story about Growing Up Gay. He later collaborated with his father, Walter, on Sudden Strangers: the Story of a Gay Son and his Father, a book about their relationship and of the elder Fricke's coming to terms with his son's homosexualityHomosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. That book was published shortly after Walter Fricke's death from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1989.
Fricke's archive material, covering the period of writing the two books, is held in the San Francisco Public Library
San Francisco Public Library
The San Francisco Public Library is a public library system serving the city of San Francisco. Its main library is located in San Francisco's Civic Center, at 100 Larkin Street at Grove. The first public library of San Francisco officially opened in 1879, just 30 years after the California Gold...
.
External links
- Profile at the Living Room
- Aaron Fricke Diaries — OurStory.com