The other day I was searching news stories in the Associated Press when I came across a title that immediately caught my attention. “Girl Runs for Prom King,” the article read. I clicked on the story and up popped a picture of a high school senior girl slipping a tuxedo jacket over her dress shirt, vest and tie. The picture was accompanied by a story about Cinthia Covarrubias from Fresno High School. Covarrubias is not only taking another girl to her prom as her date, but is running for prom king, too.
This got me thinking: If this girl is being voted into court by her fellow classmates, maybe the steadfast line between the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the heterosexual community is finally beginning to fade. With LGBT awareness week only a short while past, I thought it was a good time to examine these giant strides that the new generation is making to eliminate sexual prejudice.
First, take a look at mainstream entertainment. Once Ellen DeGeneres came out of the closet on her sitcom in 1997, the ball began rolling. Now we see popular shows like “Will & Grace,” “Queer as Folk,” “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” “The L Word” and “Workout,” taking the spotlight into a homophobic free zone where every sexuality is welcome to enjoy.
Aside from television shows, entire networks are being built for the LGBT community. The MTV affiliated cable television channel LOGO is a station dedicated completely to gay-friendly programming including movies, specials, biographies and syndicated sitcoms all with a fun, friendly homosexual feel. Canada launched its first gay radio station 103.9 PROUD FM and is thinking of creating an all gay record label. However, legislation has proved to be a constant battle, where the right to wed and the right to adopt are still being dangled above the homosexual community, but they aren’t giving up. They are in it to win it. With equal rights groups rallying support and donations at gay pride festivals across the country, the fight for equality is closer than it ever has been. Gay tours and cruises such as the Olivia cruise line are making vacationing for homosexuals and their families a fun and welcoming experience.
As time moves on, the focus is less and less on being gay or straight. The line between the two is beginning to bleed into an even playing field. More young people are beginning to claim bisexuality on their social networking Web sites. Purely gay social networks are popping up as well; downelink.com, ourchart.com and adam4adam.com are all gay social networks that are bringing people together that may have never been able to meet.
Pictures of androgynous women are being posted on heterosexual girls’ MySpace pages with pride and desire. Gay and lesbian bars are often frequented by heterosexuals who just want to have fun. Sexual prejudice is on it’s way out. The tendency is to be “bi-curious,” and why not? It is refreshing to see.
Imagine a place where no one has to feel uncomfortable about their sexuality, where love is love and everything else is just details.
If a young girl can run for prom king, it will inspire people like her to be proud of who they are. Instead of feeling like they have to hide, the LGBT community is taking huge strides to make life for future generations a more peaceful and less prejudice place. These strides need to be recognized for what they are and encouraged by others in the community, gay and straight alike.
In the article, student Leanne Reyes, who voted Covarrubias for king, said, “It’s not like the stereotype where the king has to be a jock and he’s there with the cheerleaders anymore … We live in a generation now where dudes are chicks and chicks are dudes.”
I say, good luck to the transgender prom king, here’s to you from all of us.
Sarah Castro is a senior journalism major and a staff photographer for the Daily Forty-Niner.
