Brandon Allen — a gay student at White Station High School in Memphis, Tennessee — calls himself the "Queen of Extra," the ...
Brandon Allen — a gay student at White Station High School in Memphis, Tennessee — calls himself the "Queen of Extra," the Huffington Post reported.
His classmates apparently agreed.
Allen, a senior, was crowned Homecoming Royalty on Friday night, donning a gold sequin gown for the occasion, the outlet said.
“So I want to rock a dress and look like a queen," he added to the Post.
White Station High switched to gender-neutral titles this year instead of traditional titles of homecoming king and queen, the outlet said.
The school's Facebook post on Allen's victory has drawn over 1,000 comments since Saturday, many of which supported him and the school.
What were the reactions?
"I've never been prouder to go to White Station," one student wrote. "Brandon is one of the kindest people I know and he deserves this SO much. Shame on every single person saying that he isn't deserving of this title simply because of his gender. His bravery, compassion, and kindness is something I hope to have even half of one day. Congratulations!!!"
Among the negative comments was the following: "How can a boy win homecoming queen? What happened to the real girl? This is pathetic! I apologize to all the beautiful girls that should have won and didn't because of a boy wanting to be a girl...smh."
What did the school's principal have to say?
The outlet said "haters" heard from Principal Carrye Holland in the comments section of the Facebook post.
“Here's the thing: it's Brandon's right to run for homecoming court under Title IX. It's the students' choice of who they want to support as homecoming royalty," Holland wrote, according to the Huffington Post, adding that she is “exceedingly proud to be the principal of our amazing school. You don't have to agree but disrespectful comments will be deleted. WSHS loves and supports everyone regardless of who they are or what they believe. Thank you for the love and light from so many of you."
What did the superintendent have to say?
Joris Ray, superintendent of Shelby County Schools, said he supports "student voice and expression":
Anything else?
Allen told the Huffington Post he has a message to other students who want to break down barriers: “Don't you dare ever change yourself for anyone else but you! You are beautiful, you are unique, and you're special. Don't ever second guess your existence or feelings for a second."
Regarding @SpartansWSHS Homecoming: Shelby County Schools policy prohibits discrimination, and the District is committed to ensuring a positive and respectful school environment where everyone is treated with dignity. Homecoming queen and king is a tradition...— Dr. Joris M. Ray (@SCSSuptRay) September 29, 2019
No comments