A trans Prom King will not attend graduation as school want to use his deadname
A transgender student who became the first trans male prom king will not be attending his graduation ceremony because he will be deadnamed in the ceremony.
Alan Belmont, who will graduate from North Central High School in Indianapolis in Spring of this year, has said that he will not be attending the ceremony to mark the end of his high school days as the school said that they will use his name prior to his transition.
Joined by his friend Seth Williams, who is also in the same academic year and transgender, Belmont has said that the use of the name is akin to someone else graduating.
“That’s not me that’s graduating. I’m not my birth name anymore,” said Belmont to WTHR 13.
“I’d rather be called Seth because that’s who I am,” added Williams.
The school has given the boys the option to wear the graduation gown that matches their gender – male students wear black robes, while female students wear red – but they would still be forced to graduate under their former names.
In order to overturn the ruling, the pair could face a lengthy legal process as to change their legal name would require them to enter a legal name challenge, said the town school’s administration board.
“There’s always a compromise. There’s always a middle ground and I feel like they think the cap and gown is the big issue,” said Belmont.
Belmont transitioned at 15, and began using male pronouns and was accepted by his family and friends.
“I knew that there were going to be some people who weren’t as accepting as others,” said the student during his Prom King campaign.
“I couldn’t let myself be depressed because if I did, I would let them know that they won, and I didn’t want them to have that.”
“I’m very happy to be the first at my school. But it’s bittersweet in that I’m the first, and that’s incredible. But we haven’t gotten there yet,” he adds.
“I think it’s going to pick up speed very quickly. I think that a lot of people agree that we should be created equally and treated.”
