Transgender student allegedly told he wasn’t allowed to be prom king
Dex Frier (WSBTV)
A transgender student in Georgia was allegedly told that he was not allowed on the prom king ballot at his high school—and that he would have to run as prom queen instead.
Dex Frier—who transitioned during his sophomore year—was surprised and elated to discover that he was one of six boys at his school to be nominated as prom king.
The student, who is from Gainesville, was so happy that he went home and cried, according to the Washington Post.
However, his hopes were not long lived. Frier and his schoolmates have claimed that the Hall County Schools superintendent, Will Schofield, intervened and said he would not be allowed to run as prom king.
Frier and his schoolmates claim that Schofield told him he would have to run as prom queen, or be removed from the ballot altogether.
A petition calling on the school to allow transgender student on the ballot has been widely shared
A petition has been launched by fellow students asking the school’s administration to allow Frier to run as prom king. At the time of writing, it had been signed by more than 16,000 people.
The petition said: “Prior to Mr. Schofield’s interference, we, the Johnson High School student body, elected Dex Frier to represent us as a male member on the Prom Court—this was a free-response, purely democratic election system in which Dex was one of six males who received the most votes.
“I want to bring awareness to the fact that removing me from the king ballot and giving me the option to run as queen shouldn’t have been the way to fix this situation.”
– Transgender student Dex Frier
“Our request is simple: allow Dex Frier to remain as a male member of Johnson High School’s Prom Court. I hope that you stand with us, that you stand with Dex, against the transphobic attitude of Hall County Schools.”
They go on to say that they are “severely disappointed” in the Hall County School Board.
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PinkNews reached out to Will Schofield for comment, but had not received a response at the time of publishing.
Transgender student Dex Frier was not allowed to run because he is not ‘legally male’
Speaking to Buzzfeed News, transgender student Frier said he was told he couldn’t run to be prom king because he is not legally male.
“The only way I was eligible to run for prom was to be put on the prom queen ballot,” he continued.
He said it was “upsetting” and that the decision “suppressed” him.
In another interview with NBC News, Frier added: “I’m requesting that my identity be respected and included.
“I want to bring awareness to the fact that removing me from the king ballot and giving me the option to run as queen shouldn’t have been the way to fix this situation.”
Frier’s grandmother, Lisa Frier—who is also his guardian—told NBC News that she believed he had been nominated to be prom king because he is “amazingly talented.”
“But perhaps they are also trying to make a statement,” she continued. “’Let’s be loving and kind and inclusive,’ which is what one of the school mottos is.”
