Homecoming

Two weeks ago I posted about a trans teen in Kansas City, Landon Patterson, who was elected to be homecoming queen at Oak Park High School: The difference support makes.

 photo landon_zps4gurkopd.jpgSoon after her election, Landon started receiving hate from the Twitterverse.

Everything was such a fairy tale and the world stopped for a minute. People, like, hate me. And now there is a group that hates me, going out of their way to be mean to me.

--Landon

We might have guessed. The folks at Westboro Baptist have decided they need to picket OPHS...and that was on for today. They spout something about landmarks...which I completely don't get.

Do these people not work? How do they go to these protests all over the place? I’ll be working, but Landon knows I’ll be there with her.

--Debbie Hall, Landon's mother

We didn’t choose to be (transgender). I didn’t choose to have these thoughts. I didn’t wish to be this way. So I can have churches protest me and a million other problems? Why would I want that for myself?

--Landon Patterson

There are different philosophies about how to handle the situation. The school doesn’t want the protesters to get any attention. An alumni group wants a counterprotest. Landon said she just wants to get back to her normal life.

Meanwhile in South Carolina...

 photo chase_zpskmj4obld.jpgYou might recall a story I wrote about South Carolina trans teen Chase Culpepper: Disquise and Deception, about how Chase was told she would have to look more male for her driver's license photo. She eventually won a lawsuit about that and got her license.

Chase is back in the news: she is one of five finalists for homecoming queen at T. L. Hanna High School in Anderson.

The homecoming queen will be selected from the court of five finalists and crowned during halftime of the game against Easley High School on Friday, Principal ShawnTobin said.

The finalists were selected on a schhol-wide ballot. The other finalists are Kayla Adair, Whitney Hawkin, Nadysen Junkins and Haley Kowalski. The entire court will be presented tomorrow at an afternoon pep rally.

And in MInnesota...

 photo 20150925__IRONDALE_Charlie_Baca_skybox_zpsppwqgc0i.jpg

Charlie Baca had one goal for his senior year at Irondale High School in New Brighton: to pave the way for LGBT underclassmen who may be closeted and struggling.

I wanted to kind of help them by showing them that it's not as scary as the stories they might have heard ... that our culture nowadays has become more accepting.

A week ago Charlie was crowned homecoming king at Irondale High School in New Brighton.

It was just really euphoric because I've been trying so hard to make a difference this year as my senior year, and being crowned king is a really big step that I didn't think I'd accomplish.

--Charlie

It's still new being called Charlie, so when I heard it at first I was like 'OK.' And then I was like 'Oh wait, that's me.

Oh my gosh, I won. My heart was beating out of my chest, and I'm sure my face went bright red, and my friends in the stands were all hootin' and hollerin'

--Charlie

His next goal is to start an LGBT club at the high school, which he said has been missing for the past six or seven years. All the paperwork has been submitted for starting the club at Irondale, Charlie said. He is hoping to hold the first meeting on Tuesday. His vision is to help other LGBT students know they aren't alone, and the club will act as a support group for those who may be getting bullied.

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Westboro just attention-seeking again.

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On Thursday, members of the Westboro Baptist Church protested at the school, but students and members of the community struck first with a rally of support at Oak Grove Park.

WALA

FOX10 News | WALA

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enhydra lutris's picture

Westboro, for example, spout. Thanks for this report, Robyn.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --