FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WINS RIGHT TO WEAR TUXEDO TO PROM

She'll be wearing a tux to the prom

Belinda Sanchez, a senior at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Ill., hopes to one day become a civil rights attorney. On Thursday, the 18-year-old got her first taste of victory, winning the right to wear a tuxedo to her upcoming senior prom. Sanchez was initially told by the school's principal, Milton Patch, that she could not wear a tuxedo to her prom and needed to wear a dress. Sanchez, a lesbian, said she has been open about her sexuality since freshman year. She said the school has an active gay-straight alliance and is very supportive of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. She wound up contacting the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois over the prom situation. On Thursday, the school district sent a response to the ACLU saying Sanchez will be allowed to wear a tuxedo to the prom, which will be held April 22. District spokeswoman TaQuoya Kennedy said the decision was made at the end of last week, before the ACLU got involved.

Morning-after pill free if 13 or older

The legal age of consent for sex in Britain is 16, but girls as young as 13 in Wales can get the morning-after pill free without a prescription from pharmacies, beginning Friday. Some critics slammed the policy as hypocritical and encouraging young girls to have sex. The initiative is aimed at fighting teen pregnancy and was first announced last year by Welsh Health Minister Edwina Hart. She said new ways were needed for teenage girls to get access to emergency contraception. Wales has some of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Britain, which in turn has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in western Europe. The pill is already free to women across Britain if prescribed by their doctor or a sexual health clinic, but Wales is the first region to offer the pill for free without a prescription to females 13 and older in its more than 700 pharmacies.