All the feels: Transgender classmate voted prom queen
The rights of transgender people have been in the news a lot lately, which is encouraging widespread positive change. President Obama’s bathroom decree now allows transgender students to use the bathroom that corresponds with their identifying gender, rather than the gender they were assigned at birth — which is an absolute game-changer. And there’s more good news this week — reports a local Santa Barbara news outlet — as the students at Santa Barbara High School enjoyed a very progressive prom night.
When it came time to crown their prom queen, the seniors chose a transgender student who changed her first name from Chandler to Blue when she was in 10th grade. This is a big WIN indeed. Santa Barbara has quite a large and supportive transgender community, and Blue’s shift in gender identity has been accepted by her peers and family, including her younger brothers. She attended prom night with her best friend who is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and they danced the night away. In fact, Blue even lost her voice! That’s the ultimate sign of a good time. To top things off, Blue’s good friend Sabrina was crowned prom king. Sabrina identifies as a bisexual.
Blue’s mother Joanna is now the proud mother of a prom queen, words she thought she’d never be able to say. She and her husband are both advocates for transgender rights, and in particular the political fight for transgender bathrooms to freely exist. It’s a tough battle, but worth every effort.