Source: Racine Journal Times, WISN-TV
Racine, Wis. -- Last week, students at Washington Park High here nominated Urial Gomez as one of several students who will run for prom queen in an election to be held later this month.
The prom is a big deal in Racine, where the annual high-school party was once featured in a documentary film called "The World's Best Prom."
Students at Park started voting last week for the seniors who might be elected to the school's prom court. It's early in the process that will ultimately lead to the five boys and five girls who will make up the court.
Gomez, a senior at Park High, was among the nominees, which isn't a big deal except that Gomez is gay and he was nominated for the prom queen role.
He came out to his friends shortly before his freshman year. Four years later, Gomez, is probably Park High School's most recognizable gay student.
He told the Journal-Times that he's heard other students call him "queen" -- and much worse -- before and has learned since his rough freshman year to take it in stride.
"After that I was like, 'You know what, no, OK, if you're going to call me a queen I might as well have a good title with it . prom queen,' " Gomez said. "Since the beginning of freshman year I've been trying to take things in stride and trying not to be so negative about it."
This is just the latest challenge Gomez has faced in his four years at Park High. His local paper reports that he's learned to navigate the complicated minefield that high school can be, especially for an openly gay student.
Gomez, 18, told the Journal Times that didn't expect to be nominated, but decided to go with it. He said wants to be on the ballot and hasn't heard a good reason why he shouldn't be included.
"It's not like I'm forcing myself on the ballot," Gomez said. "I did it legitimately and I did it fairly."
The Journal-Times describes the 18-year-old student as "comfortable, confident and happy to talk about life."
Gomez's best friend, Matthew Harris, has stood by him for four years and stands by Gomez now.
"Uriel's not doing this to ruin anybody else's prom. He's not doing this to make girls cry," Harris told the Times-Journal. "If anything, he's doing this to make his prom more memorable."
On Friday, however, school administrators told Gomez that they won't let his fellow students consider him for the queen title.
School officials told WISN-TV in Milwaukee that he could run for the king title, but not for prom queen. They said that he was among the top vote-getters in both categories, but he'll only be able to run as a "king" candidate.
Gomez's date to the prom, Madeline Thompson, doesn't figure that's fair. "It was the student body that wanted him there. So who is the administration to say he can't be?" she said.
Other student agree, WISN reports, and they've urged Gomez to fight the restriction.
With two weeks until the May 17 prom, Gomez is in limbo and feels that barring him from being considered as "Prom Queen" is inconsistent with the party's recent history. He points out that a star student male athlete ran for the school's "Miss Legs" title a few years ago and won.
"If a guy can win Miss Legs and a girl can win Miss Physique, how is that different than me being nominated for prom queen?" Gomez asked on WISN.
At this point, Gomez doesn't know if he's on the ballot. Regardless, he told WISN he wants to have a fun and memorable night at this year's prom.
Full article: A man as the prom queen? | Racine Journal-Times
Gay Teen Nominated For Racine Park High School Prom Queen | WISN-TV
hattip: GLAAD