Boy's run for prom queen was a serious effort (and he won)

At first, "I didn't really know if the school approved. I thought 'Why can't I do it?'" says Sergio Garcia, 18. "I see myself as a boy with a different personality. ... I don't wish to be a girl; I just wish to be myself," he said.(Los Angeles Times)

Comments

[MidtownCoog]

Just becuase you are gay, does not mean you have to be a freak, too.

[bodhisattva]

and conversely, it doesn't mean you can't be one. The world could use more brave freaks.

[Lambiepie]

tha anti-discrimination program seems to be working

[MidtownCoog]

Wouldn't that be "gay freak"?

I'm just not seeing the braveness here.

[Corpsegoddess]

Being yourself when it could get the sh*t kicked out of you is brave, at least in my book. Challenging the conventional notions of things at personal risk is brave, imo.

That's how I interpret bod's comment.

[twerp]

c'mon, cut the guy some slack, ya'll. On the other hand, pretty soon there will be no clubs or awards solely for one sex or the other....wtf happened to prom king? Maybe the title should exclude any trace of sex and be "ruler."

[ReginaFilangee]

I don't see braveness here, either.

I mean, it seems like we might as well change the designations of prom king and prom queen to "prom royalty" and elect any 2 students. The whole thing has gotten out of hand.

By definition, design, and intent, it is supposed to be one of each gender, not 2 of the same gender, to 'rule' over the prom festivities. He said it himself....he doesn't wish to be a girl. So why is he trying out for a girl's position if he doesn't want to be one?

Sexual orientation and gender identity are two different issues altogether. He's a gay male. That still makes him MALE. He uses the MEN's restroom, doesn't he? (By his reasoning, he ought to be able to use the women's restroom just because that's what he prefers.) He's not a male who has undergone sex change to make him female, in which case his argument might have a little merit.

Were I a girl in this school, I might be inclined to sue him for denying me the role of queen if I came in second to him.

[MidtownCoog]

For those who didn't read the article:

Fairfax High, which is near West Hollywood at the intersection of Melrose and Fairfax avenues, has often been at the forefront of the gay rights struggle.

[ReginaFilangee]

I don't see how this is a gay "rights" issue at all.

[kevy]

How would you like to be the straight king doing that first romantic dance?

[Me]

What happened to the prom king in deed. The king and queen usually dance after they are crowned, where is any mention of the guy who won king. If it were me and I ended up having to dance with another dude I'd be pissed.

[LimeGreenLizard]

LMAO@kevy!

[LimeGreenLizard]

I just can't get over the look on that queen's face...

[MidtownCoog]

The look on his face does make me want to slap him around some, but not becuase he's gay.

[jojo]

I don't think just because he is a 'queen' gives him the right to be the prom queen. His being gay doesn't bother me, but as already mentioned, I feel for the girls who were cheated out of the honor just so other folks can feel politically correct...and OMG, the poor prom king!

[nellagain]

What exactly is the *purpose* of prom kings and queens? The US is a benevolent oligarchy not a faux monarchy.

If you'll forgive a furriner for the critque, you need an honorific that reflects the actual power structure.

Like "Senator of the Prom" or "Defense Contractor of the Prom" or possibly "Fox News Producer of the Prom"

AH! how about "Rupert Murdoch of the Prom"!
"Oprah of the Prom"?

[sometimesilie]

LOL, Me! You might play along with it and have fun or you might really genuinely not want to dance with another dOOd. You might not have anything against anyone kissing anyone they feel like but the second you say you don't, personally, feel comfortable dancing with another male, you're labeled as some sort of social leper, when all you wanted to do was have some traditional type prom dance.

I'm just playing devils advocate here- if it were me, personally, I'd run with it and try and make as big a spectacle as possible before rejoining my female date, but I can see the point Me and Regina have too. "Traditional" does not necessarily mean bigoted or limiting but sometimes I get the feeling that there is a backlash that tries to paint it so and that's not any more right, in my book, then trying to prevent or stifle, for example, the rights of Gays to express themselves and enjoy the same freedoms and protections- openly- that heterosexuals have. I'm not sure being able to be "Prom Queen" necessarily falls into that category, but he got voted in so hey, give the people what they want.

[sometimesilie]

LOL, nell!! That's a memorable post...

[MentalHobbit]

Were I elected King (and I like the sound of that), I'd request "YMCA" for the first song, and I'd dance *near* my Queen with pride.

I'd then consider my responsibilities fulfilled!

[d'ep]

I'm with you Hobbit, but I might bite the bullet and request "Macho Man" instead.

[stopeatingmysesamecake]

Regina is spot on. He is running for Prom Queen. Isn't 'Queen' one of those "its ok if I (we) call ourselves that" but it may be derogatory if someone else does?

If he wants to run, run for Prom King.

[Reno the pregnant goddess]

I am thinking more and more of home schooling. I can't fuking believe this crap anymore. It's just soooo ridiculous! 'I'm gay so screw the girls, I wanna be queen!' AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[RockyMtnMac]

Yes! Do-Overs!
I am running for Prom-B!tch.

[55Chevy]

Glad "it's" there and not here. PC is BS.

[David]

How did he deny the girls the "honor"? It's the people at the prom who vote, if they had wanted the women to win, they would have.

[angrysockmonkey]

Gay...the new hippy

[lynn]

he wanted to compete. he did. he won. big deal. he is openly gay. again, big deal.
but elton john would have won over him --and well, ru-paul would have mopped the floor with this wanna be, honey~~ (two snaps up)~~my lord, hillary clinton would have run away with the votes...

however, reading his statements and seeing that smarmy-a## photo, gives me the impression of just a male version of the usual prom/miss this-n-that/usa/america/universe contestant:"i want world peace and i want to become a real jounalist and travel to the poor countries and help those, you know, poor people that live in little like huts" {big smile here}
i just want to slap his silly little mug and steal his tiarra.

by the way- nell wins post of the article here...lol

[The Sallow Thing]

Wow, so much passionate debate about a total non-issue. I couldn't care less if they crowned a Doberman prom queen, much less some gay dude.

[Sigh]

Ugh, prom. Who cares?

[openeyed]

Now the bathrooms need to be uni-sex, if that can be done!

[openeyed]

..And the locker-rooms, showers, ect. Hey, it is discriminatory to separate people based on gender!!

[debilsadvocado]

Would we all be laughing if the elected Prom King was a dike named Gladys?
The first dance would be a hoot!!
Who leads??

[sandman8219]

"I think that indicates where our society is right now."

That sentence at the end pretty much sums this story up. BTW, don't you just love the new "stop saying gay" ads?

[lynn]

Would we all be laughing if the elected Prom King was a dike named Gladys?--from debilsavocado....

i would..the more i hear and read about this, i think he was doing it for the publicity...

[KG]

I agree with most on here. There is no discrimination here. There is a role for both a male and female to win here. So why did he need to run for the girl's position? Couldn't he have run for 'king' and make a case for electing a very effeminate king? That I would have no problem with...showing the world that the 'king' does not have to be some football stud muffin.

But to run against the girls and deny a girl a chance to win? Does that mean a very butch girl should be running for prom king? And then you'd end up with...gee, a boy and a girl as prom king and queen.

All this political correct crap drives me nuts. There ARE positions for a boy and a girl. There is no discrimination here...just reverse discrimination. Calling Justice Sotomayor!

[Me]

Our college homecoming queen was a militant lesbian. I graduated in '78 and I'm sure that kids were using the vote for queen as a political statement long before that. The only surprise, at least to me, is that anybody really cares.

[twerp]

I've always wanted to pair up a really butch female with a really girly male.....just to see what happens--would they make each other straight? A butch queen and a girly king would totally kick ass.

[JayB]

Please, people! Aren't you aware that Prom is serious business? It's supposed to prepare young gents and debs for the giant popularity contest that is life. No Betty in the school will be able to get a decent modeling job now that everyone knows they all lost the Prom Queen title to a guy. Tsk, tsk... quite a travesty.