NIWOT, Colo. - Some students at a Colorado high school are upset after they claim a lesbian couple is being refused a chance to be crowned prom princesses.
The prom at Niwot High School in Boulder County is slated for Saturday. Typically, a prom prince and prom princess are crowned each year. According to students, the winners are decided by a write-in ballot.
This year, a lesbian couple received a majority of the votes. Despite the clear landslide win, some students claim a teacher - who is in charge of the prom committee - objected to letting the girls win because a boy and girl are typically crowned.
“[The teacher] said that it was untraditional. It was untraditional for a lesbian couple to be the prom junior princess and prince,” said Zander Born, a sophomore on Niwot’s student council.
Born and many other students are upset. He said Niwot High School is incredibly progressive and has a large LGBT community.
“At our school … it’s not a big deal to be gay, lesbian or transgender or bisexual or whatever,” Born said.
After the St. Vrain Valley School District was questioned about the accusations, a spokesman released very few details.
In a statement, Damon Brown, the executive director of communications for the district said, “Part of being an open and inclusive environment means protecting and being sensitive to all students. In this case, school leadership consulted with the student, empowered them and supported their decision moving forward. Out of respect for student privacy, we cannot comment further on the specifics of this matter."
The district wouldn’t elaborate any further.
A day after questioning the district, Born said the teacher changed his tone, saying the school might reconsider its voting process and how it goes about choosing prom royalty.
“I think given more time, they definitely would have made the right decision. But it was definitely rash and I don’t think they were really prepared for it at all,” Born said.
It’s still unclear whether the girls will be crowned. According to their classmates, they’re very popular, fun-loving students who love each other. The students also said the girls have been in a relationship for quite some time.
Born and others are hoping the district will allow the girls to be crowned prom princesses instead of a traditional prince and princess.
