Brandon Allen made history at his school over the weekend when he was crowned homecoming queen at White Station High School in Memphis, Tennessee.
17-year-old Allen, who identifies as gay, wore a sparkly gold sequin off-the-shoulder gown and rhinestone tiara to the coronation on Friday night. When the school posted a picture of him being crowned to its Facebook and Twitter pages, it drew thousands of likes, comments, and shares.
We crowned our 2019 Homecoming Royalty tonight. Congrats to senior Brandon Allen! pic.twitter.com/TslNnCqRdc
— White Station High (@SpartansWSHS) September 28, 2019
“As a a member of the WSHS class of 1980 I think this is… FABULOUS!!!” one person commented. “Congrats Brandon! You make this Spartan proud!!”
“This is the most beautiful homecoming picture I’ve ever seen,” another person said.
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“This school is a real leader in the community and is setting a great example of love and inclusion,” a third person wrote.
Carrye Holland, the school’s principal, tells CNN, “It’s the students’ choice of who they want to support as homecoming royalty. I’m exceedingly proud to be the principal of our amazing school.”
She adds, “WSHS loves and supports everyone regardless of who they are or what they believe.”
Afterward the historic coronation, Allen took to Instagram to thank everyone for their support, writing: “Thank you to everyone who has contributed to me becoming queen. You guys truly looked stunningly beautiful and I am so honored to have been able to walk with you guys!!”
Related: University of Northern Iowa Names School’s First Transgender Homecoming Queen
GayEGO
This is excellent news! Good for Brandon!
sdterp
That dress is blue and white.
?
Congrats!
DuMaurier
Hmmm…This may be like those “What color is this dress?” things that circulated on social media a while back, and everyone saw different colors (because of…I can’t remember what) The dress looks gold to me.
azjeff17
Fabulous!
bookworm
Congratulations!
jw8890
I hate to do it and be that guy, but why did they vote him queen? Inclusion is great I’m happy he won, but why queen? It’s amazing it took place in the Bible belt because is rare to read about something positive in the community down here.
dino3551
Why not?
Tarutaru
He’s not trans, he’s not even a drag queen, he’s just a boy in a dress so why did they vote him queen and take that opportunity away from someone who cares?
What would have really been Impressive is if they voted two queens, or voted him king… king in a dress. Now that is breaking gender role stereotypes.
jw8890
I agree. A king in a dress would’ve had more impact
OzJosh
He looks ridiculous. Whoever voted for him is either having a laugh or delusional.
nm4047
I’m going to suggest he won as a result of teenage having a joke and making it a mockery.
judysdad
I agree. The students thought it to be a joke and actually ridiculed him by doing this. He was kind of stupid to go along with it, imo.
Esscourt
Now this is going a bit too far!
Mojohood
This is just to extreme for me. A gay man in an evening gown, gets picked as Homecoming Queen? What about picking a girl dressed like a girl to be the high school representative? I am gay, but this world is getting so ridiculous, I am about to go back into the closet.
Bob LaBlah
I know I am going to ruffle feathers with this comment but as I speak to you from the top of my soap box I ask you to read it thru first. Ok, he was VOTED homecoming queen. To me that means he was popular because were he not he would have never made it. Now for how I see this farce. I see it a tragedy that no adult at that school sat him down and tried to explain to him the reality of what he was doing and its consequences and trickle down effects. Even though he is gay he took away the dream of a GIRL classmate. I am talking about girl as in the gender that is always the homecoming queen in high schools across America. I know I am sounding like a ranting reverend but I doubt if I’m the only one who feels that this went overboard. I feel strongly that he and those adults who allowed this to happen should know not everyone in the gay community is supporting this, race be damned. I would say the same thing had he been white, asian, trans or any other racial or gender identity. I know how heartless that sounds to some but I say its time to say please leave some traditions as they are and let these grow up and understand some time honored traditions in high school are off limits to change. Thank you.
dino3551
Best to realize that the times, they are a-changing. So must we. Otherwise, you’ll be in the shrinking group of people clinging to a past that is slowly (and rightly) disappearing.
JessPH
He’s a guy in a dress. He should be homecoming king and not queen. A girl deserves that title.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
CBS’s morning show had him/her on it this morning. She craves attention just as I suspected.
dino3551
I think it’s awesome! The nay-sayers and the “hate to be that person” people will be part if the ever shrinking crowd clinging to a past that is gradually (and rightly) disappearing.
Who says a man can’t be crowned queen, or a woman cast be crowned king? To that matter, who says someone gender neutral, etc. couldn’t be crowned either?
I think it’s great. It’ll be a while before you get those grabbing onto the past come around, but it’ll happen.
Roan
Bravo for Brandon for this win as Homecoming Royalty and for all the people who love and support him!
justgeo
Not even worthy of a PIG IN A DRESS award. WHY????????? the big deal to give this shit space here?