Have Mercy On Us All
2012-07-06 00:57:15 UTC
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Cripes! Who'd make it a queen of anything except for politics?
A transgender student says being named prom queen was the cherry
on top of her high school education. "I was really surprised,"
Connor Ferguson, an 18-year-old male-to-female transgender
student at Trenton High School, said of the win. "It was pretty
surreal actually. If I remember correctly my jaw hit the floor
and we all started laughing because it was so crazy. I walked up
and the crown didn't fit my hair, so I had to hold it."
Ferguson had an inkling she might get a few votes, but never
thought she'd walk away with the crown.
"I heard some students talking about it at school, but I
thought it was just funny," she said. "There was so many other
girls that could have received it."
Caroline Rolf voted for Ferguson and went with her to the prom.
"I voted for Connor because anyone who has been through as much
as she has and still exudes so much class and confidence
deserves a royal title, and not just on prom night," Rolf said.
Ferguson admitted high school was relatively easy-going,
especially considering the stigma surrounding transgenders and
the LGBT community. The school has a tolerant student body and
supportive staff, as well as the positive effects of the anti-
bullying campaign the school holds annually, Ferguson said.
"I've lived as I am for four years now, so I believe the shock
value' is gone and most people just accept me for me," Ferguson
said. "It took some time for quite a few people, but the school
and staff definitely helped with that, and my group of friends
was endlessly supportive. I think people accept you a lot more
when you stick up for yourself and have enough confidence to be
yourself."
But, like many high school students, Ferguson faced her fair
share of bullying. "A couple of the older students would yell
stuff at me in the hallways, but I definitely didn't care. I
didn't feel the need to waste teachers time with telling them
about it if it didn't make me upset," she said.
Ferguson knows the road ahead may not be as easy as her
classmates and teachers have made it in high school, but she has
some choice words for anyone who is trans-phobic.
"I would want to tell them I really am like any other girl," she
said. "Acceptance isn't crucial in my life, but the fact is I'm
not hurting anyone, so there's no reason for trans-phobic
behavior. I hope I can change some views along the way. If I
can't, that won't make me lose sleep at night. I just think some
people would be happier if they weren't concerned with how I
live my life."
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/07/03/transgender-student-named-
prom-queen-at-ont-high-school-2
Who says Canadians aren't fucked up?
images/1297281098458_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80&size=650x
Cripes! Who'd make it a queen of anything except for politics?
A transgender student says being named prom queen was the cherry
on top of her high school education. "I was really surprised,"
Connor Ferguson, an 18-year-old male-to-female transgender
student at Trenton High School, said of the win. "It was pretty
surreal actually. If I remember correctly my jaw hit the floor
and we all started laughing because it was so crazy. I walked up
and the crown didn't fit my hair, so I had to hold it."
Ferguson had an inkling she might get a few votes, but never
thought she'd walk away with the crown.
"I heard some students talking about it at school, but I
thought it was just funny," she said. "There was so many other
girls that could have received it."
Caroline Rolf voted for Ferguson and went with her to the prom.
"I voted for Connor because anyone who has been through as much
as she has and still exudes so much class and confidence
deserves a royal title, and not just on prom night," Rolf said.
Ferguson admitted high school was relatively easy-going,
especially considering the stigma surrounding transgenders and
the LGBT community. The school has a tolerant student body and
supportive staff, as well as the positive effects of the anti-
bullying campaign the school holds annually, Ferguson said.
"I've lived as I am for four years now, so I believe the shock
value' is gone and most people just accept me for me," Ferguson
said. "It took some time for quite a few people, but the school
and staff definitely helped with that, and my group of friends
was endlessly supportive. I think people accept you a lot more
when you stick up for yourself and have enough confidence to be
yourself."
But, like many high school students, Ferguson faced her fair
share of bullying. "A couple of the older students would yell
stuff at me in the hallways, but I definitely didn't care. I
didn't feel the need to waste teachers time with telling them
about it if it didn't make me upset," she said.
Ferguson knows the road ahead may not be as easy as her
classmates and teachers have made it in high school, but she has
some choice words for anyone who is trans-phobic.
"I would want to tell them I really am like any other girl," she
said. "Acceptance isn't crucial in my life, but the fact is I'm
not hurting anyone, so there's no reason for trans-phobic
behavior. I hope I can change some views along the way. If I
can't, that won't make me lose sleep at night. I just think some
people would be happier if they weren't concerned with how I
live my life."
http://www.torontosun.com/2012/07/03/transgender-student-named-
prom-queen-at-ont-high-school-2
Who says Canadians aren't fucked up?