05/28/2009
The Prom Queen of Fairfax High
The L.A. Times reports:
"Garcia, 18, spent most of his years at Fairfax openly gay and wanted to be part of the Los Angeles school's prom court -- but not as prom king. He felt that vying for prom queen would better suit his personality, so he decided to seek that crown, running against a handful of female classmates. He said it started out as a bit of a stunt and challenge -- he wasn't sure the school would allow it. But his campaign for queen ended up being serious and sparking dialogue about gender roles on campus...The audience erupted in applause after his speech, and a group of his female friends spent the rest of the week wearing pink crowns and campaigning for him. On Saturday night at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, wearing a charcoal-gray tuxedo and a black bow tie, he was named prom queen. 'I felt invincible,' Garcia said."
Posted 1:25 PM EST by Andy Towle in Education, Gay Youth, Los Angeles, News | Permalink
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Awesome!!
Posted by: Derek | May 28, 2009 1:29:38 PM
Im beaming for this guy!!! Way to go! I love about 2 miles from Fairfax High! I hope they have a banner out front congratulating you. You dont know it yet, but you are a hero to many
Posted by: Middle of the Road | May 28, 2009 1:47:25 PM
I can't wait to read WorldNetDaily's take on this. Should be entertaining at the very least.
Posted by: Jeffrey | May 28, 2009 1:54:23 PM
If this makes him happy and it's what he wants the that is a great achievment!
Without sounding completely stupid though, can I ask why? would he want to be crowned Queen?
Is he having gender issues?
I would like to understand why he would want to be Queen and not King.
Be gentle with me please, I'm missing something here.
Thanks.
Posted by: Marc | May 28, 2009 1:57:13 PM
more power to him. long live the queen!
Posted by: nic | May 28, 2009 1:59:55 PM
More and more I'm impressed by how the younger generation seems to throw out the social politics of the conservative older generation(s). I have met a few twenty-somethings who were openly homosexual high school students, and some were even Prom Kings. To learn that smirkily questioning genders roles lead to such a positive outpouring of understanding and acceptance is icing on the cake. Let us all hope this trend carries forward in the years to come.
Posted by: CJ | May 28, 2009 2:00:27 PM
this is so awesome
Posted by: z | May 28, 2009 2:05:02 PM
Fairfax High -- alma mater of the late Jack Kemp. Times are achangin'
Posted by: woodroad34 | May 28, 2009 2:06:48 PM
makes one see that these old het-oriented things like prom kings and queens, and beauty pagents, etc., etc., are anachronisms that should die a fast death and be buried.
Posted by: northerner | May 28, 2009 2:13:12 PM
Good for him. I'm not gonna lie, this feeds into the negative stereotype though. Just saying.
Posted by: Alan | May 28, 2009 2:17:13 PM
I'm with you Marc, gay or not, why would he want the queen title and not the king? I'm a male, not a female, a king, not a queen. Why not have a King and a King, or a Queen and a Queen? That makes sense, but short of saying he's transgendered I'm not sure I get this either.
Posted by: Wayne | May 28, 2009 2:18:31 PM
It seems like the kids today are getting more effeminate. When I was in H.S., I wanted the jocks, not the queens.
Posted by: Mike | May 28, 2009 2:23:21 PM
probably because being prom queen is way more notoriety that being prom king..and we are all "queens" in our own right? some people just take gender and limit themselves while others simply dont give a damn...but thats just most of my generation's take on it..im 20
Posted by: Ford | May 28, 2009 2:45:58 PM
Well I don't know, I just want to understand the guy better.
IT's great he achieved his dream, I'd just like to know why though.
Posted by: Marc | May 28, 2009 3:10:48 PM
I don't really see how this helps things. It's awesome how they accept him; it shows how younger people are growing up with less hate. But with so many stereotypes out there, gay men are sissies and gay women are masculine, this just reinforces them. It's what he wanted though, so it's cool. But I'm sure there were some kids in that school who thought the idea of giving the fag the queen title was hilarious.
Posted by: Sam | May 28, 2009 3:18:53 PM
I'm assuming his tits are his own.
Posted by: JohnInManhattan | May 28, 2009 3:22:07 PM
"I don't really see how this helps things. It's awesome how they accept him; it shows how younger people are growing up with less hate. But with so many stereotypes out there, gay men are sissies and gay women are masculine, this just reinforces them. "
Who cares? SOME gay men are effeminate. SOME lesbians are masculine. If it makes you feel bad that idiots are going to take the traits of some people and project it on an entire group, that's your problem, not his. It isn't his responsibility to negate stereotypes, especially since it ISN'T a negative one, as there's absolutely nothing wrong with being effeminate.
Since I'm black, am I supposed to stop buying watermelon when I go to the grocery store because that's a stereotype too?
Posted by: James | May 28, 2009 3:40:17 PM
Took the words out my mouth, James!
Posted by: Lito S. | May 28, 2009 4:17:12 PM
This was an entertaining story but I believe this was a joke that turned into something serious.
Will people hate on the homecoming King if he chooses not to dance with this "queen"?
Posted by: Anthony in Nashville | May 28, 2009 4:30:06 PM
As a gay man who doesn't look effeminate but identifies with powerful women and can 'queen out' without even thinking about it, I completely understand this boy's desire to be Prom Queen. Prom King? Does anyone ever really care about who Prom King is? The popularity contest lies in the title of Queen. And when you're a young gay boy who desires jocks but sees the power girls have over them, well then as Big Edie said: How can you resist it? Do I like big strong men? Absolutely? Do I love men who can be big queens and be completely comfortable in their masculinity to be feminine at times? You bet. Nothing turns me off faster than some "str8-acting" douchebag who puts "stereotypical" gay men down. I only have cheers and tears for this brave young man.
Posted by: ZnSD | May 28, 2009 4:50:51 PM
Why would he want to be "Queen" instead of "King?"
Come on now. Cuz its a hell of a lot more fun to be a Queen, y'all. Does anyone ever care who gets to be Prom King, anyway?
Posted by: Maxwell | May 28, 2009 4:51:20 PM
and another thing..what kind of accomplishment would it be for a gay guy to be prom king?...its happened before..it happened at a local high school to one of my fellow coworkers a few years back..and I live in TN.
Posted by: Ford | May 28, 2009 5:45:36 PM
Way to perpetuate stereotypes...
And Ford, we aren't all "queens in our own right" thank you very much. I'm not much older than you, and I find this very perplexing. Why didn't he go wearing his angel wings and glitter?
Posted by: Jackson | May 28, 2009 6:18:26 PM
'Since I'm black, am I supposed to stop buying watermelon when I go to the grocery store because that's a stereotype too?'
That analogy really doesn't link up, considering how many people are ignorant to homosexuality.
And like I said, he's happy, so it's great. My point was I don't see how this helps anything. Way to be reactionary without actually reading.
Posted by: Sam | May 28, 2009 6:42:34 PM
I swear if anyone has any trouble grasping why Prop 8 passed....just log on to a gay oriented blog (like this) and read the comments section by GAYS.
Some of the most vocal (yet subtle) homophobia detected in society is accelerated by gays themselves.
Reading some of the comments above
"I don't get him"
"That's just odd."
"Only hurts the cause and further helps stereotypes"
"Is he having gender issues? why not just be king"
You know, I could apply the same exact responses to marriage equality.
The reason Prop 8 passed is not them h8ting 'breeders'.....it's YOUR faults. Look in the mirrors, because most of the gay community is responsible for it. You protest with signs, horns, banner that read "Accept me for who I am NOW" and in the same breath refuse to grant acceptance of your fellow brothers fighting the same fight because they happen to be more effiminate than you?
Before we demand change with hetros, why don't we work on our own home first?
P.S~ A fag is a fag is a fag....is a fag. Regardless of how much you think you blend in with straight people, and how mascluine you think you are, and how you attempt to make yourself convinced you're better than this boy above who has more courage in his middle finger than some of you above could muster in your life....you're no better.
Posted by: Bayley | May 28, 2009 8:33:38 PM