Watch: School Cheers As Trans Student Wins Homecoming Queen

This newly crowned Homecoming Queen has a message for other trans youth.

Landon Patterson, a senior at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri, made history this weekend when she became the school’s first openly transgender Homecoming Queen. Yes, Missouri, which ranks 17th on Gallup’s scale of conservative states.

“I’ve dreamt about it, freshmen year like ‘oh I wanna be that girl out there walking,’” she told Fox 4 when discussing her win, but she never thought it would happen.

Earlier this year, Patterson publicly came out as trans on YouTube (her video currently has over eleven thousand views), and she was surprised that her classmates accepted her when she returned to school. She was shocked again when they nominated her for Homecoming Queen.

When the announcer finally named Patterson as the Homecoming Queen during the Oak Park homecoming game, the crowd immediately cheered their support.

“Right now, I feel complete. I feel like that princess,” Patterson told reporters afterward.

While people at her school were supportive of Patterson, the online community hasn’t been as kind. Some hateful comments were posted on an article at People.com, of course by anonymous people who weren’t brave enough to post their real names or facial pics.

Patterson can ignore the haters though. Right now, she is taking comfort in the fact that she just made history at her school, and is helping the trans community by being a positive role model. She has a message for other trans youth:

“Be you! Life is too short, you just have to embrace who you are.”

Congrats, Landon! 

 

Image: Screenshot via Fox 4 video
Hat tip: PinkNews