From the LA Times:
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!” Garcia, 18, spent most of his years at Fairfax openly gay and wanting to be part of the prom court — but not as king.
He felt prom queen better suited his personality, so he decided to seek that crown, running against a handful of female classmates. He said it started as a bit of a stunt and challenge — he wasn’t sure the school would allow it — but that his campaign for queen ended up being serious and sparking dialogue about gender roles on campus.
Ya gotta love 'im. Go Sergio!
...Fairfax, located at the intersection of Melrose and Fairfax avenues, has often been at the forefront of the gay rights struggle.
It has a Gay-Straight Alliance student group and Project 10, an onsite support program for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth, was launched at Fairfax in 1984 after a social worker wanted to help an openly gay man who was harassed by other students.
....
"The young people, they are not involved in this whole argument about gay rights," Uribe said. "They think this whole fight is silly. They just accept people for who they are.
“Gender bending is just kind of in,” she said.
The young people have it right.
The young people do have it right. We have started a PFLAG in our city. The young people are amazing in their honesty and acceptance.
ReplyDeleteInteresting initiative, indeed...
ReplyDeleteSome papers over here has hailed him for it... Gender roles as we knew them aren't cut in stone any longer ;=)
Good luck to him!
Can't wait for his generation to be in charge! I just hope I don't have to wait THAT long for my equal rights under the law.
ReplyDeleteWhat I liked about the article was " that his campaign for queen ended up being serious and sparking dialogue about gender roles on campus." If only dialogues like this could happen in more places.
ReplyDeleteGo Sergio!!
ReplyDeleteSergio went about this just the right way, hitting all the right notes. He's a smart young man. I love that dialogue began as a result of his seeking the queen's crown.
ReplyDeleteSCG, I hope your wait won't be long.
My 15 yo daughter told us about this the other day with great approval of the Fairfax school administration.
ReplyDeleteHer generation is absolutely amazing and totally accepting of the diversity of the world they'll inherit.
I only wish they could transfer a little of their backbones to the ABC and the Communion, as does she!!
Gerry, I do, too. The powers listen too much to the desperate ones, those who know that they are losing the battle, and not enough to the those who see the future full of hope.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story of love and acceptance!
ReplyDelete