Transgender Teen Crowned as Homecoming Queen by Calif. High School
A high school in Orange County, Calif., has crowned a 16-year-old transgender, whose mother is a born-again Christian, as its 2013 homecoming queen. For Cassidy Lynn Campbell, the title was the school's recognition of the gender "I always felt I was" and a statement to the world.
"I'm doing this for the kids who can't be themselves," Los Angeles Times quoted Campbell of Marina High School in Huntington Beach as saying after the crowning ceremony on Friday. "I think it really shows the progression of the times."
"I'm so proud to win this not just for me but for everyone out there and for every kid – transgender, gay, straight, black, white, Mexican, Asian. It doesn't matter, you can be yourself," Campbell said.
Campbell was born male but always felt like a girl, according to the newspaper. Campbell's mother, who described herself as a born-again Christian, has reluctantly accepted it. "I don't want her to be who she is, and my religion says it's wrong," she was quoted as saying. "But I think in the end, love is letting her be who she wants to be."
"If Marina High School is to make high-profile news during its homecoming week this year, then we are proud that the message is one of equity and individual respect," school principal Paul Morrow was quoted as saying before the ceremony.
Campbell was among five finalists. Campbell has posted videos on YouTube, including to offer makeup tips and a lesson in self-injecting estrogen. Campbell ordered hormone blockers online and started taking them without consulting a doctor or a family member.
"I felt like I was already a girl, so I was confused as to why my mom would cut my hair," Cassidy said. "I didn't understand why she would make me wear shorts and shirts when I wanted to wear dresses and skirts."
