shining star

Schoolboy goes viral for wearing stunning red sequined dress to prom

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Schoolboy in his sequined, red prom dress
Korben in his prom outfit (Photo: Nina Green/Supplied)

A 16-year-old schoolboy in the UK has become internet famous this week after photos of him dressed for his prom appeared online.

Proud mum Nina Green posted the pics of son Korben on her Twitter, saying, “At age 12 my son announced he wanted to go to his school #prom in a gown. Four years later we made it happen. I’m so incredibly #proud of him for being true to himself & the reception he got from his whole school was incredible. What do you think @michellevisage @theebillyporter”

Korben attended Archbishop Sancroft High School in Harleston, Norfolk. When he turned up with friends for the prom, other pupils gave him a resounding cheer when he emerged from their car.

Mom Nina told the BBC, “As soon as he got out of the car, everyone just cheered and I was crying, some of the teachers were crying, because he was being who he wanted to be,” she said.

“Everyone has been very supportive, and his year group has been incredible.

Among those to share the tweet was Drag Race judge Michelle Visage, who congratulated Nina on her parenting skills: “Ohhhhhhhh yes! You are an amazing beautiful mom and your child is a STAR.”

Related: That time a straight teen asked his gay best friend to prom in the cutest promposal ever

Korben already had his own drag persona, named Miss Frou Frou, and tweets under that name. Mom Nina says that for prom, he didn’t want to go in full drag, but just as himself. He was inspired by a hero of his: Billy Porter.

Actor and singer Porter has made a name for himself with some of his red carpet outfits, many of which have challenged traditional gender norms.

Since the post went viral, Korben and his mom have done several TV interviews in the UK, and they’ve both been blown away by the supportive comments they’ve received.

“I just wanted to show parents in the same situation that it’s OK,” Nina told the BBC.

“I think it’s so important to fly the flag, for people who don’t get the support he does.

Related: High school football player and swimmer boyfriend share prom pics, melt hearts

In a phone call to Queerty, Korben, who is gay, said the last week had been crazy “in the best way possible.”

Having completed his GCSE exams, he’s now enjoying a summer break, before looking ahead to embarking on a musical theatre course next year. His dream is to pursue a career in the entertainment industry in some form. He’d also love to one day appear on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Korben and a pride-decorated dinosaur
Korben hopes to go in to the entertainment industry (Photo: Supplied)

Before that, he says he has some upcoming drag shows later this month to coincide with the local Norwich Pride.

“It’s very exciting and I can’t wait to show Miss Frou Frou to the world.”

Mom Nina told Queerty, “He’s a true performer. He’s been performing since he was about four, got very serious about it when he was about 12, and he’s been involved in a lot of different theatre companies in the Norwich area, and he’s with a really fantastic youth theatre group called Echo Youth Theatre. He absolutely loves it.”

They both credit Korben’s school with supporting his self-expression, and Korben says he knows he’s been very fortunate to not experience bullying when so many other LGBTQ kids do. He also knows he’s been lucky to have a very supportive family.

Nina says she finds it hard to give advice to other parents that may not know how to react to having an LGBTQ kid as not everyone has had the same experiences as her. She believes negative reactions are sometimes rooted in the fears parents have around their kids facing stigma for being perceived as “different”.

“For me, as a parent, it’s been really natural just to accept Korben for who he is, but I also understand that people come from different backgrounds, so they may not have had the education and awareness of what it’s like to grow up with someone from the LGBTQ community,” she says.

“But, at the end of the day, my message is, if you allow your child to be who they want and need to be, you will get nothing but the best out of your child. We can’t force our children to be something they’re not.

“I want my children to live their true lives, and if this is the real him, which I absolutely believe it is, then great. I’m not going to hide him away. Every child should be given the opportunity to explore who they are, and to find their way with supportive and loving parents.”

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