Lesbian Couple Named Prom King and Queen in Florida
Lindsey Creel and Brie Grimes. (Photo: Facebook)
Yesterday we wrote about a lesbian high school student in Pennsylvania who was kicked out of her prom for wearing a tuxedo instead of a dress. Well, today brings another bit of LGBTQ prom-related news — but this time, it’s a heck of a lot sweeter.
Lindsey Creel and Brie Grimes, two seniors at Leon High School in Tallahassee, Fla., who have been dating for three years (or approximately 25 in high school years), were recently voted prom king and queen by their peers. This marks the first time in the school’s 185-year history that a same-sex couple were awarded the titles.
It should also be noted that Creel was wearing a suit and tie at the time of her crowning.
While being named prom king and queen would typically serve as a simple and satisfactory ego boost for most teens, Grimes and Creel see their titles as a larger win for the LGBTQ community. “I hope that people will look at this and more will begin to think that it’s OK to be supportive of the LBTQ community,” Creel told the Tallahassee Democrat. “Leon often talks about change. … This is a good example for younger students there.”
Brie Grimes and Lindsey Creel. (Photo: Facebook)
And, said Grimes, “it feels good to know some of the things we’ve been a part of can help others going through tough experiences, in a positive way. I needed someone in my life to show me that it would work out, when I was first going through this years ago. But I didn’t have that.”
Now in full swing, the 2016 prom season has been riddled with stories about the treatment of LGBTQ youth, both positive and negative. At Foothill High School in Palo Cedro, Calif., a lesbian couple was taken off the prom court ballot because, as the school’s principal put it, “it’s not fair to the boy gender.”
But there have also been several victories, especially for transgender students. A trans senior at Portage High School in Indiana was recently crowned the prom queen runner-up, and after filing a petition with his high school in Wisconsin, trans junior Ash Whitaker was permitted to run for prom king.
Here’s a thought: Perhaps it’s time America’s high schools began judging their potential prom kings and queens for their strength and justness as rulers and not for their gender identities and dating preferences. At least we’re getting there.
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