This is beyond ridiculous. I am not bashing gays in fact I think that there is a lot we can do as Christians to be more loving to those who are gay. This is not a comment about their value and this is certainly not a condemnation of a person, but this is absurd! Now we have guys as Prom queens?
Here is the story,
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!"
"I will be wearing a suit," Garcia said, "but don't be fooled, deep down inside, I am a queen!"
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.
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.
Lo said that she, like many students, had initially been against the idea of Garcia running for prom queen. But she said he "spoke with complete confidence" and carried himself in a way that made students believe he was serious, not a class clown or joker just trying to get attention.
"His speech was great," recalled Unique Payne, 17, a senior who said she voted for Garcia. "I did it because I support the gay community," she said.
Some teachers and students were encouraging, others told him not to "stir things up," he said. But his close friends continued to support him, and after his speech, the campus community seemed to be coming around to the idea.
"I think that indicates where our society is right now. That the young people, they are not involved in this whole argument about gay rights. They think this whole fight is silly. They just accept people for who they are," Uribe said. "Gender-bending is just kind of in," she said.
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.
Lo said that she, like many students, had initially been against the idea of Garcia running for prom queen. But she said he "spoke with complete confidence" and carried himself in a way that made students believe he was serious, not a class clown or joker just trying to get attention.
"His speech was great," recalled Unique Payne, 17, a senior who said she voted for Garcia. "I did it because I support the gay community," she said.
Some teachers and students were encouraging, others told him not to "stir things up," he said. But his close friends continued to support him, and after his speech, the campus community seemed to be coming around to the idea.
"I think that indicates where our society is right now. That the young people, they are not involved in this whole argument about gay rights. They think this whole fight is silly. They just accept people for who they are," Uribe said. "Gender-bending is just kind of in," she said.
I do feel bad for the Prom King!
So what do you all think?
Paging Perez Hilton, you may now be a pain in the butt again after bashing Carrie Prejean.
Anyways, I'll have further thoughts later, but starting off, I've heard of a football player as the Prom Queen (as one of my classmates, Class of 2003, at my first high school ended up being a second kicker and helped bring in the 40th anniversary homecoming and also the first with the team having a true home stadium), but she was a young lady.
I've heard of students making Prom Court where the students rally behind a couple of unlikely candidates (sometimes as a joke turned serious), as the author of this comment is one, but yikes, this... umm... no...
Posted by: Alexander Wilhelmsen | June 06, 2009 at 11:47 PM
did the prom king HAVE to dance w/the prom queen? it seems a little toooooo far... what about the girls in the school who wanted to be prom queen and lost to a BOY?!
Posted by: Sara Giguere | June 08, 2009 at 08:47 AM
Where are the feminists protecting the disenfranchised females on campus? These students must be sexist, having elected both a male Prom King and a male Prom Queen.
Seriously, though, I wonder about the idea that the young people think it "silly" that a person's gender identity is set at birth. It's disconcerting to say the least.
Posted by: Jayme Orn | June 08, 2009 at 03:54 PM
Another thought on this subject, and on the quotes in it:
"I will be wearing a suit," Garcia said, "but don't be fooled, deep down inside, I am a queen!"
I don't care who you are, if you are a guy, you are not a queen. Cross dressing played for humor can be funny (done that before and it was a hit) or dramatics, but in real life? Sorry, but you are not a queen and I can't believe this one, that for sure. As for dancing, I'd refuse if I was the King. A lot of girls would have loved the crown, but yikes... no surprise it's in California near LaLa Land where stranger things have probably happened.
"It just shows how open-minded our class is," said Vanessa Lo, 18, the school's senior class president.
I'll happily be open minded to good ideas and to be tolerant, but I'd rather be narrow minded enough to believe strongly, which is something that I don't think some young people today understand. They listen to the loudest and most attractive voice and kind of forgot the old adage, "If you don't stand up for something, then you'll fall for anything." Maybe these students do stand up for gay rights, but I hope it's more of a deviant than the norm.
"His speech was great," recalled Unique Payne, 17, a senior who said she voted for Garcia. "I did it because I support the gay community," she said.
Nice name, Unique. As for supporting gays, as people, sure... as a lifestyle? Oh my. I have openly let it be known what my views are. Know that I will let you speak, and you have respect as a person, but I am against your lifestyle.
"I think that indicates where our society is right now. That the young people, they are not involved in this whole argument about gay rights. They think this whole fight is silly. They just accept people for who they are," Uribe said. "Gender-bending is just kind of in," she said.
This last quote is a bit off. This is where our society is, unfortunately... it's okay, you can live with two mothers or two fathers... bull(dung, poo, human waste)... otherwise, why would there be males and females built differently in so many ways? Both contribute to a healthy upbringing if they do their jobs right.
As for young people being a the "gay rights" argument, that's a load of crap as well. When schools have a PRIDE Alliance or GLBT Club at their high schools and in college, that's teenagers into adulthood, that 14-25 year old age bracket that even breaks out beyond that. Sure, young people weren't swayed by Obama either. Young people are critical to any movement, and everyone should know that. How else are high schoolers gay? How else do they have a "Day of Silence" at their schools to show their plight? I'm sorry guys, but you have a voice. Some of your people are just killed by people that are super hateful.
The young people who actually keep their heads on straight don't consider "the fight" to be silly. That's discounting the minds of teenagers and young adults (of which I am still one) which is something that I try not to never do. Some young people are young and act young, but sometimes they can be quite profound at times.
As for accepting people as they are, that's great, but you can accept people without accepting everything that they've ever done in their lives as a good thing.
Gender-bending (i.e. Mark and another guy impersonating girls in their normal clothes as an act or another guy I know in a tutu, interestingly enough, all three church staffers, a current Elementary Ministry coordinator, a Youth Minister, and Helsel, or me impersonating a lady in drag, all played for laughs) can be funny. This is not gender bending. This is a serious problem.
My way to combat the issue? Take out the primarily issue at hand, which is "Gay Marriage." The way to do that is for "traditional marriages" to serve their purposes where the reason why people re-marry is because one of the members of the couple has died. When people remember that it is a lifelong commitment and that people will change throughout their lives and that as long as those changes are for the good and that person is fundamentally the same and still committed that you should do your darnest to stay together.
The way to beat down evil is with love and to show that the right way is not only alive, but thriving and well... the only way to change things from the wrong way is to show the right way actually works.
Posted by: Alexander Wilhelmsen | July 25, 2009 at 02:27 AM
I think you're being intolerant.
Let people do as they please when it comes to not harming anybody. Have you ever thought that maybe all the events in your life have amounted to this moment right now? Have you ever thought that maybe all the events in this person's life have amounted to that person's moment? Who are we to choose what moments are valid? Instead of judging him harshly and turning recluse, why don't you try to contact the person and ask him/her questions in order to understand?
Posted by: nate blake | August 03, 2009 at 02:31 AM
Nate,
Not sure if your comment is directed at me or one of the comments, but if it is me I want to point out what I said in my post that this is not a condemnation of a person, but of the whole idea. Prom queen's should be female, just like Father's should be male and mother's female, or Miss America should be female. You get the picture, so again this is not a condemnation, and everyday we as a society choose what moments are valid and which are not. I could study really hard for my driver's test but when I go to take it an instructor validates that moment in my life. I may leave disappointed or happy but it is not my choice. Society is not all about the individual having the right to do whatever they want even if it doesn't hurt anyone else.
Posted by: Mark Helsel | August 03, 2009 at 09:50 AM
Hey Nate, a lot of this is done tongue-in-cheek, but it's legitimately what I think, so don't be too offended.
By the way, am I not to have an opinion and stand firm on it?
Let me take apart your comment.
You say, "I think you're intolerant," and I think you totally don't know who this is and you failed to read what I wrote at all.
"Let people do as they please when it comes to not harming anybody."
Care if I run naked through your local park? How about come live in your house and eat all your food? I don't think it would harm you if one day I came over and played music you don't like in your presence on purpose.
All of these are disturbing, wrong, and I wouldn't do them, and in my opinion, so is a male Prom Queen.
"Have you ever thought that maybe all the events in your life have amounted to this moment right now?"
Irrelevant to the conversation and it sounds intelligent, but it's rings hollow. Yes, I've done this before. Just like I also understand that two teenagers mating doesn't hurt me, but it certainly effects the world and especially those people in particular. Egg meets sperm equals baby, and viola, another life that costs something likely to people who weren't as ready as most.
Does everything in my life have something to do with where I am now? Yes and No, define your context. The fact that I've taken care of myself so that I live to this day, sure, those events have something to do with it. Could those events have been different (like going to McDonald's instead of Wendy's for fast food some days) and I'm still where I am today? Sure.
Do I believe that sometimes some things come together? Yes. Do I think everything does? Again, what's your context and what do you mean specifically?
"Have you ever thought that maybe all the events in this person's life have amounted to that person's moment?"
All of them? Hardly. If this guy got a cheeseburger at McDonald's when he was five that didn't make him Prom Queen.
"Who are we to choose what moments are valid?"
All moments are valid when they happen, but are they wrong in our opinions?
"Instead of judging him harshly and turning recluse, why don't you try to contact the person and ask him/her questions in order to understand?"
1) I didn't judge him at all, I gave an opinion.
2) I never turned recluse, I'm here.
3) Why should I contact this person that I don't even know? That would be weird and kind of creepy on both sides. Also, Sergio Garcia is too common of a name to track down this guy.
4) Should I try and find you in the White Pages and grill you about this topic to understand you and your years of life? No thank you.
5) What is there to understand? He's gay and was voted Prom QUEEN!
6) He's not the only involved in this... should I call everyone else in his high school class too? I'd probably get similar thoughts from people at local high schools... some like it, some hate it, some don't care.
7) Did you read anything I wrote?
8) I know gay people, and if we're on friendly enough terms, they understand that I am not against gay people, just as I'm not against Democrats as people. I am against homosexuality and the philosophies of the Democratic Party.
Throughout my entire diatribe, I mentioned how it's possible to be tolerant and open minded, but not so open minded that my brain falls out of my head so that I can't think correctly or for myself. As incoherent and what you wrote may sound good to you, it lacks common sense and to be blunt, I can't find a single opinion or intelligent thought in there. All I can find is a bunch of disconnected thoughts that lack a context and I'm not sure even go together.
When you're sitting on the can, do you think, "You know, when I was born, everything I did from led to this moment," or more properly, your body produced enough solid waste in your body to make that happen?
In context of the story, Sergio Garcia wanted to be Prom Queen, apparently the rules allowed him to, he convinced enough people to vote for him, and he somehow took became this controversial figure. In related news, I became part of my Junior Prom Court NOT because I spelled every word correctly in 2nd Grade, but because enough people in my class voted for me to be a finalist.
I won't repeat everything I wrote, but I will repeat this: "As for accepting people as they are, that's great, but you can accept people without accepting everything that they've ever done in their lives as a good thing."
In conclusion, I'm tolerant, I really got it hammered into me in middle school. At the same time, I understand the phrase, "Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything."
So that leaves this question Nate, What do you think of the story? What is your contribution to the debate?
Posted by: Alexander Wilhelmsen | August 03, 2009 at 05:07 PM