http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070421/ap_on_re_us/transgender_prom_king;_ylt=AjGT4SD4zE39R404ieSsAkrMWM0F
Transgender student runs for prom king
By GARANCE BURKE, Associated Press Writer Sat Apr 21, 1:22 AM ET
FRESNO, Calif. - When school officials announce the name of the Fresno
High School prom king on Saturday, Cinthia Covarrubias will be wearing a
tuxedo just like the six boys vying for the honor. Administrators agreed
to reverse a district protocol this week that limited males to compete
for the title after Covarrubias was nominated by her classmates.
"I would never have run for anything if I had to wear a dress," said
Covarrubias, who considers herself transgender, an umbrella term that
covers all people whose outward appearance and internal identity don't
match their gender at birth.
Gay youth advocates called it a landmark victory for campus gender
expression and said they believe it's the first time in the U.S. that an
openly transgender student has run for prom royalty.
"We are growing as a society to accept much more diversity in gender
expression, and that's a positive thing," said Carolyn Laub, director of
the Gay-Straight Alliance Network.
Covarrubias, who wears black-and-white Vans, baggy shorts and
close-cropped brown hair, sometimes identifies herself as Tony. Her
date, a close female friend, plans to wear a black dress and red corsage
to the prom at an outdoor reception hall surrounded by man-made
waterfalls.
On Wednesday, officials at the school of 2,700 students shifted course,
saying the district's lawyers had recommended adding Covarrubias' name
to the ballot to comply with a 2000 state law protecting students'
ability to express their gender identity on campus.
"We always want to do the right thing by our students," Vice Principal
Sheila Uriarte said. "This is why we came to this decision."
Leanne Reyes, 16, said Covarrubias had her vote.
"It's not like the stereotype where the king has to be a jock and he's
there with the cheerleaders anymore," said Reyes, a senior. "We live in
a generation now where dudes are chicks and chicks are dudes."
Still, some students criticized the decision to put Covarrubias on the
ballot.
"I like lesbians, but they shouldn't be allowed to run for king," said
senior Erich Logan, 18, as he stood outside the stately high school
building.
A native of Jalisco, Mexico, Covarrubias said she has bucked rigid
expectations of how a girl in her culture should behave. Explaining the
meaning of terms like "queer" and "transgender" to her parents and eight
siblings has at times been painful, she said.
"My freshman year I just started feeling different," she said. "When I
decided to change to be like this, all of a sudden I said, 'Wow, I feel
OK. I feel like finally I'm being me.'"
She has no current plans, however, to permanently alter her gender
through hormones or surgery.
Tiffani Sanchez, a science teacher who advises the school's Gay-Straight
Alliance, said the decision would foster understanding of the broad
spectrum of gender identities.
"Cinthia is still really learning who she is," she said. "We want her to
know that there's a safe space for her here and we support her."
Covarrubias is giddily looking forward to the prom, but acknowledged
being a little nervous.
"I'm happy I actually made a difference about changing the law and the
policy so you can run for your choice," Covarrubias said.
--
Fundies and trolls are cordially invited to
shove a wooden cross up their arses and rotate
at a high rate of speed. I trust you'll
be 'blessed' with a plethora of splinters.
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