Fairfax High's prom queen is a guy - gay student beats out female candidates

[jefferson_dem]

Fairfax High's prom queen is a guy



Sergio Garcia, a gay student, beats out the female candidates. His campaign started out as a bit of a stunt, but it ended up generating dialogue about gender roles on the L.A. campus.
By Ari B. Bloomekatz

May 28, 2009

Sergio Garcia stood in the gymnasium and told the senior class at Fairfax High School not to worry: If he was elected, he wouldn't wear a dress.

"I will be wearing a suit," Garcia said, "but don't be fooled, deep down inside, I am a queen!"

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.

A few days before the dance and election, the contenders gave short speeches on why they deserved the crown.

"At one time, prom may have been a big popularity contest where the best-looking guy or girl were crowned king and queen. Things have changed and it's no longer just about who has the most friends or who wears the coolest clothes," Garcia told the crowd of seniors. "Sure, I'm not your typical prom queen candidate. There's more to me than meets the eye."

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.

He's among the first male students in Southern California to take the title usually owned by female high school beauties.

"It just shows how open-minded our class is," said Vanessa Lo, 18, the school's senior class president.

<SNIP>

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prom-queen28-2009may28,0,2700821.story

[Captain Hilts]

1. A nice change. Home-coming Queens, high school football. High school reinforces all sorts of crap.

[ccharles000]

2. k/r

[meow2u3]

3. That gives "prom queen" a whole new meaning

:evilgrin:

[ColbertWatcher]

4. I can't wait for the day when a gay guy can ride the float in the Rose Parade.

That's when we know it's over for the haters.

[Kalyke]

8. I'd actually be happier if we didn't have beauty contests all together.

Prizing women - or gay men - for their looks is degrading, in my opinion.

[ColbertWatcher]

16. Good point. n/t

[Echo In Light]

5. K&R

[Bucky]

6. My prediction: 30% of Freepers will be more upset that he's Hispanic

Latino gay male high school prom queens are taking opportunities away from American gay male high school prom queens! OMG!

[gratuitous]

7. "It shows how open-minded our class is"

I don't know about that. What it shows me is that given a chance to stick it to the prom queen wannabes, the girls on the outs couldn't resist a golden opportunity. Join those votes with the guys who voted for Garcia for whatever reason, and it looks like a landslide.

[kenny blankenship]

9. What a lucky outcome for the Fairfax prom King!

Anybody happen to get a quote from him?

[cabbage08]

10. K&R

[myrna minx]

11. K&R n/t

[proteus_lives]

12. I don't get it.

Wouldn't the guy want to be the Prom King? I don't understand why the gay man ran for the female position. Wouldn't it be a stronger statement the other way around? This seems like it's enforcing a stereotype.

[jefferson_dem]

13. I'm no expert but I would argue that it's a gender thing.

A homosexual male is more likely to identify with a feminine "queen" than a masculine "king."

[nichomachus]

14. Not me -- I want to be king

as long as I don't have to do anything yucky.

[jefferson_dem]

15. LOL! I knew I shouldn't have "gone there"...

:hi: