What an inspiring story! High school elects transgendered prom queen!

[kevinbgoode]

Now this story is a couple of weeks old, so I'm not sure how I missed it. . .but the Fresno Bee did a really good profile of young Johnny Vera, a transgender high school student and cheerleader who was elected prom queen:

http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/47430.html

The silver tiara matched his silver stilettos when Johnny Vera was named prom queen Saturday night at Roosevelt High School.

He's the first transgender prom queen in Fresno -- and possibly anywhere.

Vera's win probably didn't surprise anyone who had seen the prom queen candidates' speeches Friday in the quad during lunch. Vera, effeminate and towering in heels, had wrapped his manicured nails around the microphone.

"For me, it's about more than a crown. It's about saying to people, 'Come out and be who you want to be,' " Vera said. A crowded, urban high school scene paused to listen. "You have to say, 'I am who I am, and I'm proud of who I am. My spirit will never be down on the floor.' "

The students cheered and whistled. The girls on Vera's cheerleading squad got teary-eyed. A boy wearing a pin supporting another queen candidate started the chant: "Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!"

On Saturday night when his name was announced, Vera wept like a newly crowned Miss America to thunderous applause in a downtown Radisson Hotel ballroom. The same chant started: "Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!"

It really is a very touching story of triumph and caring in a high school world that you rarely expect to be so mature at accepting everyone.

[Swamp Rat]

1. WOOHOO!!!

Good for them!!!

:kick:

[Ellen Forradalom]

2. 15 years ago in Eau Claire, WI

A pregnant, punky girl named April was elected homecoming queen. The administration reacted in a manner worthy of the GOP:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,976864,00.html?promoid=googlep

[kevinbgoode]

5. Amazing. . .and those corrupt administrators thought they were

role models? Such utter arrogance. . .I hope that principal who resigned is never able to find another position in the schools.

[Enrique]

13. incredible story

do you happen to know if the movie "Election" was based in part on that story?

[AwakeAtLast]

22. That was my question, too!

The story is too close to be coincidence, isn't it?

[valerief]

3. If he didn't win, his dress alone should have. Gorgeous! nt

[Fridays Child]

4. In the very heart of freepturdville!

[Le Taz Hot]

41. Um, the name is

Fresno, California and this is my home town. Newsflash! Not all Fresnans are Freepers. In fact, the 99.99% of the members of Free Republic are NOT from Fresno. Let me emphasize that for the weak minded: 99.99% OF MEMBERS OF FREE REPUBLIC ARE NOT FROM FRESNO. Got it??????

Jaysus! The ignorance on this board sometimes is simply astounding!

LTH,
Fresno FUCKING, California!!!!

[Fridays Child]

45. The tendency of some on this board to make everything personal...

...is equally astounding. I lived in the SJ Valley, very near Fresno, and I knew plenty of decent people there. It's a nice place with lots to offer but the overall cultural climate has made it fertile ground for people like Jim Robinson.

My comment wasn't a condemnation of you, for christ's sake. Don't be so thin-skinned.

Edited to change Free Republic to Jim Robinson.

[Le Taz Hot]

68. Then try real hard to

refer to Fresno by it's actual name. Mkay??????

[acmavm]

6. Somehow I don't think that the kids growing up now will be as homophobic

as earlier generations.

At least it seems that way to me. But I'm wrong frequently. Maybe its wishful thinking.

[Mabus]

16. My neighbor's daughter gives me hope

About two years ago when my neighbor's daughter was 10 her mom had to come over and tell me a story. The daughter and her friend were playing. My neighbor asked them what they were playing and her daughter responded "lesbians." My neighbor asked, "how do you play 'lesbians'?" To which her daughter said, "it's the same as playing 'house' but since we're two girls we must be lesbians." The daughter went on to explain that they had been playing house until her little brother said he was bored and left. It was pretty cute.

We talked about it and we both agreed that it would be pretty cool if in the next few generations the gender and/or sexual orientation doesn't matter.

fwiw most transgenders I've known aren't homosexual. In fact I can only think of one. I had another transgendered friend who was bisexual before and after surgery. Gender is different from sexual orientation.

[immoderate]

38. Pardon my confusion, but...

How does one determine if a trans is homosexual? For instance, is a MTF transgender, who is attracted to females, homosexual? :shrug:

For once, I'm not being snarky, I'm thinking that applying the term, homosexual, to a transgendered person, particularly non surgical ones, is ambiguous.

--IMM

[Mabus]

42. Gender identity

If a person's biological equipment is that a male but the individual's gender identification is female and their sexual orientation is female I believe they are a lesbian. In other words, if a person is born with a penis but they identify their gender (who they are) as female then I think they are female whether or not they transgender later. At the same time, the same person who was born biologically male but has a female gender may have have also been born with a sexual orientation toward other females.

Therefore, in my mind, a person who is born with one sexual genitalia may have an opposite gender identification hotwired. In addition they may have been born with a sexual orientation geared toward the same gender that they identify themselves as. So, if a person's gender is different from their physical make-up and their sexual orientation is geared toward the same sex, aren't they homosexual? No surgery is going to change a person's sexual orientation. It can help change their bodies to conform to who they are (and for lack of a better term I use the word I've been using "gender" or "gender identity") but it will not change their sexual orientation. That's why I said I knew people who were either homosexual or bi-sexual before they had gender reassignment surgery who remained attracted to (not surprisingly) to the same gender after surgery.

Is this clear as mud or do you understand what I'm trying to say? I guess what I'm saying is that gender and sexual orientation are two totally different things to me. Maybe I'm wrong. :shrug:

[immoderate]

46. I think I've got it.

If the person's sexual preference is the same as their gender identity, then he or she is homosexual. Right? :)

--IMM

[Mabus]

72. Exactly

That was much clearer than what I was saying but that's it.

[mockmonkey]

71. I think what really screws things up

is when they use the word Tran-sexual. It's really a bad word because they are not changing their sexuality only their physical gender, which is basically what you said.

I'm married to a F2M and I think what you wrote explains it well. :thumbsup:

[Mabus]

73. Thank you

At the heart of it is accepting people for what they are and respecting it.

Congratulations on your marriage. I know that you've and your husband have probably experienced a lot of unnecessary BS.

[Orsino]

33. This is exactly what the bigots feared...

...that a failure to keep GLBT people invisible would allow us to see them as human.

[gollygee]

7. I needed a story about the world getting better!

When I was in high school, 20 years ago, this would not have happened. At all. Grown ups aren't always open minded, but the next generation is apparently an improvement upon ours, so there's progress.

[CabalPowered]

35. This put a smile on my face

http://www.discoverybaypress.com/article.cfm?articleID=2566

[kevinbgoode]

47. What a very touching story!

You know, I think we too often forget that children see and understand the meaning of caring and compassion. . .even if the rest of society seems greedy and disinterested in the plight of others.

Those parents should be extremely proud.

[Matsubara]

8. Why do they call her a him?

Is that just to be "cute"?

I'm glad about the story, but the "him" thing seems a bit ignorant.

[KamaAina]

15. I don't think there's an AP style guide for trans

though there probably should be.

Since he's presumably pre-op, being high school age and all, and is still named "Johnny", 'him' might have seemed like the safe choice.

[knitter4democracy]

40. I wondered that myself.

She obviously considers herself a woman, so why the constant references to her being male?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

62. insensitivity.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

61. it was callous and stupid of the writer.

[proud patriot]

9. Fabulous

:woohoo:

[Malikshah]

10. There is some hope in the world-- please let Vera's story be told to the masses!

Somewhere, somehow--

There *is* a place for all the GLBT community

[Exultant Democracy]

11. Good for them, it is nice to hear something that gives you a little hope

for humanity every once and a while. The kids these days are good kids. Over 2/3 of the 25 under crowd vote Dem. As terrible as MTV i,s it has made racism and gay bashing uncool which is a good thing.

[shireen]

12. a rare story for DU ... positive, hopeful, accepting.

Nice to see some positive news in this forum for a change ... may those kids take over the world.

[kestrel91316]

14. Very uplifting story. And she's GORGEOUS in that dress!

[file83]

27. Here's a video news story about it from ABC news:

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=local&id=5299875

[kevinbgoode]

28. Thank you for that link. . .

What a nice story and interview. . .! And with her goal of becoming a fashion designer, I hope there are some opportunities out there and some doors will open.

[BanzaiBonnie]

17. Good to see this

[eridani]

18. The next time somebody rants about "these kids today"--

--send them this.

[Coexist]

19. thank you for some happy news!

[juno jones]

20. Thank you

Best story I've seen today.

[Lars39]

21. What a wonderful mother...

When his mother was sick, she talked to him about self-respect.

"She taught me to be strong and never be ashamed of myself," Vera said. "Never see yourself as less, she said. She told me, 'You know, to really be a lady you have to know how to walk into a room.' "

:cry:

[kevinbgoode]

23. I thought that part was amazing, too. . .

and just like when she took those words to heart and told herself uplifting things as she walked to the new school, I was just touched by the sheer strength of her spirit.

I also love the part where she says she is never going to let anyone but herself decide who she is going to be. . .you can feel how her mother lives in her heart.

[Lars39]

25. Unconditional love...acceptance, not tolerance.

So rare these days. And she is going to stay strong.

[tavalon]

30. That was the most touching part

One of the things I love about both my partners families is how accepting they've been about their kids unusual choices. They've also both been great to me.

[undeterred]

24. In 1973 my high school elected a dwarf as senior homecoming queen

and we loved her to bits.

Some of the faculty didn't know her and I think there were a couple who were afraid it was a cruel joke. But all the students knew it was the one person everybody truly loved. She was smart, an actress, great fun, truly popular, and well liked by everyone. The homecoming king didn't know her and I think it was a surprise for him but they became great friends.

[Bucky]

36. That's a great story.

I went to a high school where outsiders were mocked ruthlessly. It's good to hear that some schools are different.
.

[Canuckistanian]

67. I think this is the point

Vera seems to be considered a popular and valued member of the school body.

In this case, it really challenges the concept of "outsider".

And it's about time.

[Nicole]

26. Way to go Johnny!

"Things are the way things are until someone changes it," Vera said. "I started seeing that someone has to be first."

Smart kid. :toast:

[tavalon]

29. Wow!

That is so fabulous!

[Kurovski]

31. K&R. (nt)

[Name removed]

32. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DemSoccerMom]

34. Brava!

:kick:

[Forkboy]

37. As always the kids are ahead of the adults.

Hats off to the school for being that open,and a bigger hats off to Johnny for having the courage to be who she wants at a time in life when that's the hardest thing to be.

[nam78_two]

66. Yup

:bounce:

[helderheid]

39. K & R!

[Balderdash]

43. Wow!

Pretty much amazing and wonderful!

[NMDemDist2]

44. Fresno? isn't that where FreeRepublic's RimJob lives??

oh the irony! :rofl:

[MsUnderstood]

48. its not all tieras and roses

Another story also from Fresno

http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/43271.html

This one about the transgendered boy (born woman) who would be prom king but lost.

As a citizen of the central valley in California, I'm glad to see Fresno get on the map for something other than being home to some major freeptards.

[mzmolly]

49. Wow, "we've come a long way."

Vera's sister, Elizabeth, 21, said her mother never made an issue of Johnny's differences.

"Just because he was different than every other little boy, she never put it out there as a problem," she said. "It was 'we love each other,' and that was it."

When his mother was sick, she talked to him about self-respect.

"She taught me to be strong and never be ashamed of myself," Vera said. "Never see yourself as less, she said. She told me, 'You know, to really be a lady you have to know how to walk into a room.' "

To Johnny's Mom! :toast:

[kitkat65]

50. Sounds like the ending to a John Waters movie

And I LOVE John Waters movies

:)

[supernova]

51. Made me smile

What a lovely person Johnny Vera is. :D


Reading this makes me think there's hope for us all.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

52. i love how the article refers to him and uses male pronouns

:eyes:

[Forkboy]

55. A lot of people are still confused about it.

Until I came to DU I wouldn't have known the difference myself.

It would be nice,however,if those writing about it tried to learn first,but that may be asking too much for a media driven by speed instead of facts.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

56. i understand someone being confused by it, but the article says the woman prefers female pronouns

so the writer is deliberately being callous.

[Forkboy]

57. Upon rereading it you are correct.

My apologies.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

58. no apology needed. bet you would have used female pronouns if someone asked you to

:hug:

[Forkboy]

60. Yup..I would.

The only reason I didn't know before I came to DU was because I never really think about others sexuality (until it involves mine...but that's for an adult forum!).My attitude has always been whatever a person is comfortable being is what they should be.I've always felt it was none of my business anyways.

Thanks for the understanding and the :hug:

:)

[kevinbgoode]

63. I don't wish to second guess the reporter's motive here. . .

and while it might be preferable to use the gender identification used by the interviewee (which would make some sense), the reporter interviewed others who continued using the "he" pronoun, including a sister who still referred to him as her "brother." There could be different reasons for this which aren't explained by the story. . .the administrators using the name of someone who is still "legally" a male. . .

Journalistically, it is a sticky area. But the reporters use of "he" when interviewing others rather underscored one of the difficulties Vera faces. That was even more emphasized in the way Vera pointed out how she prefers the use of "she" - the reporter could have left all of that out of the story, so my journalistic sense is that the writer was attempting to use that as an example. The reporter could have perhaps used "her" when referring directly to Vera. I wouldn't consider not using it particularly callous, since the focus was on the positive impact of Vera's spirit in overcoming most social stigma, including how she lets some things (like the pronoun use) roll off her back.

The media still has difficulty handling stories about the gay population - and hasn't had any style guidance by a professional association until a few years ago.

[Norrin Radd]

53. Cool.

[tonekat]

54. Yay! I've been waiting for this to happen sometime soon!

Very wonderful story, and attests to the amazing transformation of one's spirit when you stop fighting with yourself and be who you were meant to be.

[MedleyMisty]

59. I'm not surprised

Polls show that people under 30 are much less homophobic than people over 30. The polls are the main evidence, of course, but I do hang out on boards that have a younger population and they will jump on and flame anyone who posts homophobic stuff.

I know this may be hard for people intent on whining about everyone who isn't the same age or from the same region as them to understand, but really most people are cool.

[Reterr]

64. Nice

:applause:

[nam78_two]

65. I am not very fond of this rule that we cannot recommend threads after 24 hours

x(
It should be longer than that.

[SeattleGirl]

69. This is so cool!!!!!

"Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!" Congratulations to you, and to all who elected you prom queen!

[NuttyFluffers]

70. that's a wonderful, heart-warming story

:loveya: