Posted on 05/04/2008 8:00:02 AM PDT by Libloather
Man wont be allowed to be prom queen at Park
BY PAUL SLOTH
Journal Times
Friday, May 2, 2008 11:55 PM CDT
Uriel Gomez poses Thursday outside of Park High School. Gomez, a senior, is openly gay, and was on the ballot for both prom queen and prom king. On Friday, school officials said his name will not be allowed on the girls side of the ballot. Photo by Mark Hertzberg of The Journal Times
RACINE A Park High School student who thought he might have a shot at being prom queen could still get crowned king.
School officials have said they wont allow Uriel Gomez, 18, to stay on the girls ballot for prom court, which could have put him in the running for queen.
Park students started voting for prom court early this week. With a little encouragement from Gomez and his friends, he ended up getting enough votes to get on the girls ballot.
Classmates had nominated Gomez for prom king, too. He might have to settle for a crown instead of a tiara.
Right now its kind of confusing. All I know right now is, Im on the guys side, Gomez said.
Gomez, a senior at Park, insists the push to keep his name on the list of senior girls who might be chosen prom queen has nothing to do with grabbing 15 minutes of fame.
When Gomez learned he had enough votes that he might get elected to the prom court on both the boys and girls sides he asked a teacher if he could stay on the girls side.
The teacher told Gomez, and his friend Matthew Harris, to talk with Jim Kerkvliet, the schools activities director.
Park officials werent thrilled with the idea that Gomez wanted to run for prom queen, regardless of his reasoning.
A former high school football star recently donned a skirt as a joke during a homecoming contest. Gomez didnt see any difference. School officials did.
The school is standing with the regular policy, Kerkvliet said. Its the same for everything. Boys are boys. Girls are girls.
Gomez, who is gay, said that isnt the biggest reason why he asked to stay in the running for prom queen. He was never really given a good reason why he couldnt, he said. If his classmates voted for him, why not, he figured. Friends agreed.
Whether school officials change their stance, Gomez has support from friends and classmates.
I dont think the student voice should be shushed just because (the school) doesnt agree with it, said Amanda Peterson, a Park senior and one of Gomezs friends. Prom is supposed to be fun, anyway. I dont see what the problem is.
Kerkvliet said earlier this week that he did not know anything about Gomezs sexual orientation.
Gomez did not tell the schools activities director that he was gay when he asked to keep his name on the girls ballot.
Gomezs friend, Harris, has stuck by his friends side the whole time. The two knew that Gomezs request wouldnt necessarily be a popular one.
I dont understand how people can be offended by this when its not their prom, Harris said. King and queen is the tradition and people dont like it when you mess with a tradition. If anything, were accepting the tradition. Were just kind of putting a 2008 tweak on it.
The policy of “boys are boys and girls are girls” is actually very good.
It would be hard to dispute. Simple chromosome test.
Sometimes, the puns just write themselves...
And could a fellow student tell the King/Queen (without being penalized) to have sexual intercourse with himself?
It’s the ultimate in diversity dontcha know.
Openly Gay means there’s going to be a parade and you’d better applaud. That aside, Gay boys insisting on being Prom Queen betrays the Gay Advocate’s snide dismissal of women.
Let’s see how Amanda feels when a scholarship set aside for a girl goes to a Gay boy.
Forget which side of the ballot he should be on - that guy is toe up! Who the heck voted for him to be Prom anything? He ought to be the school mascot.
Yep. And, believe it or not, many gays shake their heads in dismay at these kinds of publicity stunts. They know they aren't doing anyone any good to help their cause and win them allies.
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