US: Trans girl crowned homecoming queen in Colorado
A transgender teen has been crowned homecoming queen at her Colorado high school.
Scarlett Lenh, 16, is a junior at Sand Creek High School in Colorado Springs.
She made history on Friday, when she became the first ever trans woman to be picked as homecoming queen in the state – beating out three other nominees in the process.
Ms Lenh said: “It was really exciting. It felt really good. I couldn’t stop smiling
“One of my friends mentioned it, and I didn’t think anything of it because I didn’t think I’d be nominated. But, now, it really matters to me.
“This is something I’ve wanted to do since my freshman year. I want people to be themselves and not feel uncomfortable in their own body and mind.”
Welcoming the decision, school district spokesman Matt Meister said: “Our board policy sets the standard that we do not exclude any person from participating in any program or activity on the basis of gender identity and gender expression.
“The leaders at Sand Creek High School and in District 49 respect the decision of the Scorpion student body in electing their homecoming court.”
The state has been a key battleground for transgender rights, with the Supreme Court ruling last year that six-year-old Coy Mathis should be allowed to use the girls’ bathroom at her school, and that she should be allowed to use facilities appropriate to her gender identity.
