NJ.com reported that trans girl Jae Irizarry was crowned homecoming queen last Saturday at Trenton Central High School.

I wanted to make a difference, to show not only the city and world that it's 2015 and things are changing and progressing. I am so happy that I won, it's been amazing.

Jae credited the friends and teachers who convinced her to run and a supportive school community.

They're making my dreams come true.

But there were some who doubted the outcome could happen legitimately ot that it shold have been allowed to happen.

Penny Rae, writing for the Trentonian on Sunday reported that "sources with intimate knowledge of activities at the school say the vote was a fraud."

Penny wrote that an anonymous source who feared retribution said the teacher in charge of the voting process "failed to properly oversee the votes, which allowed students to stuff the ballot box as an alleged practical joke."

Then Penny wrote

But other sources say the teacher was involved in stuffing the ballot box and did so because she wanted to “make history.”

Because, you know, how else could the tranny have won?

A parent spoke openly:

We are not bashing the [transgender teen]; how [she] chooses to live [her] life is not our issue. But the teen is registered at the school as a male. So why was the teacher allowed to let this person compete with other females?

--Marie "Murf" Antoinette

The ubiquitous outraged parents said that 'the school should have never allowed the transgender teen to be crowned queen because “it’s unfair to young females.”'

One parent said that while she’s accepting of all people regardless of what gender they identify with, allowing a transgender teen to be crowned queen sends a message to young girls that “they’re not good enough.”

Another parent said there should have been a separate homecoming category for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. Parents also expressed concern about how the event would affect young students who are not properly educated about sexuality.

No one at the school dislikes the [transgender teen], but this teacher had an ulterior motive. Students who were actually involved in the homecoming process said the teacher said she didn’t care if she lost her job, and that she wanted to make history. The teacher did not get permission from any administrator to do this.

The young man who was crowned king refused to walk with another male. It was a disrespectful slap in the face to the young men and women who were there.

---Antoinette, who has a freshman child at the school

If the student body fairly voted and decided that this is the new direction they’re heading, I’m good with that. The student body should have their voice, and the community should respect their voice. But if someone tainted the voting process, then we should have a problem with that. We should now use this situation as an opportunity to educate others. Respect should be like love: unconditional even in disagreements.

--city activist Darren “Freedom” Green

Trenton Central Principal Hope Grant spoke on Monday

It's now time for the schools and community to encourage and support Irizarry, and others like her.

Here you have a young person walking in their authentic self, every single day. We need to accept people, in whatever form or fashion (they come in.

--Grant

Grant on Monday refuted rumors on social media and an anonymously sourced news report claiming the ballot was manipulated to guarantee Irizarry won.

Grant said Irizarry's status as homecoming queen is neither a stunt nor the product of voting impropriety.

This was not a joke. There were loud cheers when this was announced Friday. There was cheering from classrooms.

The applause continued at the football game Saturday.

She is the homecoming queen.

--Grant

Grant said the conversation about sexuality and gender identity can be difficult for some adults, but the younger generation is a more accepting group. And transgender youths deal with added stresses and pressure compared to their peers.

We need to be embracing this student. As a public institution, we have a moral and legal responsibility to accept, embrace and be non judgmental.

--Grant

Irizarry's mother, Cookie Irizarry, said she was initially concerned when her daughter told her she planned to run for homecoming queen.

I'm just proud of my daughter, Jae. She's amazing, the encouragement was amazing and I was proud to walk beside her, and stand and scream with her, when she was crowned queen.

--Cookie Irizarry

Negativity came into my mind. As a Christian, I prayed to have protection over her.

--Cookie, who said that she feared for her daughter's safety

She might have been born my son, but she is my daughter and she will be in my life,

--Cookie Irizarry

Cookie Irizarry said she and Jae were never contacted for the Trentonian article. They hadn’t heard anything about any alleged ballot-stuffing and don’t believe it to be true, she said. It felt like the sort of backlash worried about in the back of her mind even as she strongly supported her daughter’s achievement.

But when Cookie Irizarry accompanied her daughter to the school’s homecoming game Saturday night.

“it was amazing how people came up and said they were screaming in the halls,” she said. “When they announced her at homecoming halftime on Saturday, she got the loudest cheers. All the kids got cheers, but hers were the loudest.”

Cookie said that Jae first told her mother she was a girl when she was 12, but didn't come out until about a year ago.

I was scared for her. “She said, ‘Mom, this is my senior year. I’m coming out. I’m coming out all the way. People can accept me for who I am. Or they can just let it be."

--Cookie

The Trentonian printed a semi-retraction yesterday, written by David Foster

Despite the baseless accusations of voter fraud published by her hometown paper, Irizarry tells me she has experienced overwhelming support from TCHS students and staff.

--Bobby Finger, Jezebel

[They all support me] 150 percent,” she said. “At first I didn’t want to run at all, but students came up to me and were like, ‘You should do it, I feel like you can win,’ so I ran basically last minute, and surprisingly I won!

-Rae Irizarry

I’m guessing maybe that specific person doesn’t support the LGBTQ community, so I suppose they made it up. But the voting is correct, and everything is great. I won fair and square.

--Jae

Mr. Ray could not be reached for comment about his article, having apparently gone on vacation.