Story at a glance:
- A senior became her school’s first transgender homecoming queen.
- She plans on attending college next year and hopes she can inspire other LGBTQ teens.
“When I heard them say Evan, I was just like ‘holy moly, no way that they just said my name.’”
A senior at a Florida high school made history as the school’s first transgender homecoming queen last week.
Students at Olympia High School in Orlando elected 17-year-old Evan Bialosuknia to be homecoming queen, making her the first transgender student to win the title.
She told USA Today it was a moment that showed how a transgender woman “can do the exact same things as a cisgender woman.”
At first, Bialosuknia thought it would be “kind of cool” to run for homecoming queen, she told the outlet. And then she received an outpouring of support from her peers.
She started campaigning on social media, and the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance also helped her, messaging club members and encouraging them to vote for her, CBS reports.
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“I know it’s not the biggest deal, but, to me, it just felt very like ‘wow, that’s a relief,’ and a weight lifted off my chest knowing that I’m not disliked,” Bialosuknia told USA Today.
The school congratulated the king and queen in a post on Instagram, sharing videos of the runner-ups hugging and cheering for Bialosuknia.
“When I heard them say Evan, I was just like ‘holy moly, no way that they just said my name,’” she told USA Today.
“It just shocked me,” she added. “I couldn’t believe it was real.”
Next year, Evan plans on attending college. She hopes her win helps inspire other LGBTQ teens.
“Put yourself out there and present yourself as who you are,” she said. “Just know that you are amazing, and you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it.”
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