[Student Reporters] Gay Prom Queen Marks Coming of New Generation

Minji Yi / <11th, Fairfax HS>

It is Saturday night on May 23rd, 2009, and an exciting day for Fairfax High School students. Students eagerly await the crowning of this year‘s prom king and queen. This year, something would be different, out of the ordinary. Everyone holds their breath in a strange anticipation. Finally, the two names are announced, and the royalty quickly make their way to the front. First, the prom king, dressed in tuxedo and crown, steps up to pose for a photograph. Soon after, the prom queen joins in - also dressed in tuxedo and tiara.

Sergio Garcia, an 18 year old high school senior at the time, became a less than ordinary prom queen. As an openly gay student, he gained the rebuke, as well as the tremendous support of his peers throughout the campaigning process. Although the campaign started out as a challenge for Garcia, his genuine persistence and charismatic speeches won over the votes of the majority at Fairfax. “I think it was his determination that showed everyone that he was serious,” says Martinez, a student at Fairfax High School.

However, this daring feat was not appreciated by everyone. Some expressed contempt, saying that Garcia should have run for the position of prom king instead. “The role of prom king would have suited him much better,” says Kim, another student at Fairfax. “Regardless of how he felt, the term queen applies only to females.”

The news of a male student being elected prom queen shocked many and sparked heated debate regarding the role of homosexuality in today’s society. Although homosexuality still largely remains a taboo in Korean-American society, it is gradually becoming accepted worldwide.

Recent overwhelming support for gay rights is only rising among the youth today. During the November 2008 elections, the addition of Proposition 8, which reads that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California”, gained the attention of many young people even under the age of voting. While most of the older generations supported the proposition, the younger generations opposed it and expressed their opinions in different ways, ranging from changing their Facebook statuses to participating in rallies and demonstrations. Proposition 8 was eventually added to California‘s constitution. However, due to the efforts of younger voters, the results turned out to be astonishingly close, with 52.2% of those who voted “yes” and 47.8% of those who voted “no”.

High schools are also contributing to the increasing awareness of gay rights among youth. Fairfax High School, for example, is a “Safe Zone” school for the Lesbian Gay Bi Transsexual Questioning (LGBTQ) community, and has a Gay-Straight Alliance on campus, a club that supports LGBTQ students. However, straight students also participate in the club to show their support. On campus, both straight and gay students can be seen getting along, regardless of sexual orientation. “Teens are more open-minded these days,” says Jeannette Cardona, a student at Fairfax. “They’re allowed to express themselves, and they‘re accepted for it.”

Garcia’s victory in the prom election is evidence that the younger generation is becoming more open towards sensitive issues such as homosexuality. This increasing support and acceptance of liberal ideas forebodes the coming of a new, different generation.