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Imagine being voted Homecoming King, then having your high school unceremoniously rescind the honor. That's exactly what happened to 17-year-old Oakley (nicknamed Oak) Reed, left, a senior at Mona Shores High School in Muskegon, Mich. The problem with him wearing the crown? Reed is a transgendered student who is still female.
This was hardly a secret to his school, where, as he told Wood TV, teachers openly refer to him as "him," and he will wear a male robe and cap at graduation.
It was only after Reed posted "Vote for me for Homecoming King" on his Facebook page -- and his fellow students decided he deserved the title -- that he was summoned to the principal's office, where he was informed he couldn't fulfill his King-ly duties because he was a girl.
Translation: Any form of gender-bending will not be tolerated in the halls of Mona Shores.
Thankfully, his fellow students have rallied, creating a Facebook group, Oak is my King, where they've posted the protest below and created specially designed T-shirts in support of Reed and transgendered rights, which they plan to wear in solidarity on Oct. 1.
While this isn't the first time a high school has used a big dance-y dance to throw the rule book at a gay or transgendered teen, we hope it will be the last. It's kind of depressing when the student body seems more enlightened than the adults in the faculty.
Hear Reed's plight in his own words in a video after the jump.
Comments:
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Wednesday 29 September
By Lil Willie
She is a girl. The vote was for Homecoming King. The only problem I see is that she should not have been allowed to run.
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Wednesday 29 September
By Alicia
He is widely accepted in every other aspect at the school as he, he self-identifies as male and his peers voted for him and have continued to offer him their overwhelming and heartwarming support. After the countless deaths in 2010 alone of kids from bullying, especially LGBTQ kids, I think it's fantastic that Oak's peers have stepped up as they have and accepted him so fully. Why can't the administration and you? After all, it's just Homecoming King. If having Oak as king makes him and his classmates happy, then by all means, it's the simple things. It's not like the title really matters on the larger scale.
Wednesday 29 September
By poot
Yes, I agree, there seems to be a misconception that cross-dressing and being called what you want to be somehow makes you that. Without that operation, you're still the sex you were when you were born, it's that simple. Does Oak menstruate? Does Oak belly up to the urinal in the mens' room?
Wednesday 29 September
By Victor
Spammer scum! Report them!
Wednesday 29 September
By Ray
I agree with LiL, the rules are and have always been simple. A (male) gender student is voted for king, a (female)gender is voted for queen.
Wednesday 29 September
By PrivateCitizen101
Exactly. What I don't get,is why do they call her, a him? You should be what is on your birth certificate.(unless,you have both).Then you have the option of going with the flavor of the day,so to say.Mother nature has a twisted sense of humor,sometimes. - Our younger generation's have been taught to accept this,because 'tolerance' has been shoved down their throats through the public school system. In so many way's,that is a form of brainwashed socialism,developed by the bleeding-heart liberals. Blame the adult's,not the child.
Wednesday 29 September
By Chuck
Thank you. It has nothing to do with transgender but it does have to do with SEX we all will agree that big bubba can not run for Ms. America so why should a FEMALE rtun for KING. I don't see what the big deal is here a girl can not be KING
Wednesday 29 September
By Melody
I agree, See this is what happens when you take God out of the school and the nation. All of the things that are happening to our children and us is because we are allowing satan to enter in and do his thing. Well, for those who say there is no God and we shouldn't bring God into it well, I guess I know where you are going when it is all over with. God doesn't make mistakes, if you were born a girl, then he wanted you to be a girl for a reason, maybe there are things that he has for your life's plan that only a girl could do and the same if you were a boy. Leave God work alone!
Wednesday 29 September
By older now
It should be readily evident that these stuents were exercising their collective " In your face" kiddie attitudes . They thrill at an opportunity to be daring and rebellious , especially when they feel they are at no personal risk . Kind of a chicken thing to do , but that's nothing new for young twits , is it ..
Could the author of this piece be more liberal or gay ? I doubt it .
In fairness , give a little background on the writer next time , hmmm ?
Wednesday 29 September
By Gaea
How stupid are you??? Whether you like it or not, HE'S a GUY! The student body, who determines the choice of the "KING" has spoken. The staff has no say in this matter. Precious as good teachers are, they, and the administration are just the hired help!
Wednesday 29 September
By Yaker
You are a bigot.
Wednesday 29 September
By rwinters92604
here's what i see as the problem. it's NOT just with homosexuals, transgendered peoples or anyone else is that when they don't like a rule they complain about it and then the attorney's see dollar signs and publicity so they go after the peole that are just following the rules. see,rather than going after the rules they don't agree with in a democratic matter they protest and file lawsuits,briefs,motions and the like.if people don't like a rule or law change it the RIGHT way and go after it through the democratic process of voting.this Oak Reed and EVERYONE else should be ashamed of themselves because the school is following the rules. they are NOT by protesting (no matter how peaceful it is), threatening lawsuits against the school. a great person once said if you don't like how government is governing,then change it. but do it the right way.if you can't do things the right way then you have NO right complaining about them in the first place.
Wednesday 29 September
By Paul
She identifies as a man though. You can't impose those kinds of definitions on her without her consent.
Wednesday 29 September
By syl
Just because someone is born with certain body parts, does not mean that is what they are! Take your head out of your a$$ for a minute and try to imagine the anguish of being born in one body but everything else about you is a different gender. Thankfully operations can help these people, but until they can afford to do that, living life as someone completely opposite of what you feel must be true hell. And bigotted, small minded, ignorant people make it twice as difficult.
Wednesday 29 September
By Ben E.
You amuse me. In a sad, un-intelligent way.
Thursday 30 September
By Sarh-Marie
HE is not a GIRL. He is female, but that is not his gender, That is his sex.
Sex refers to biological differences; chromosomes, hormonal profiles, internal and external sex organs.
Gender describes the characteristics that a society or culture delineates as masculine or feminine.
Therefor, Oakley is a boy or a man, even though he is female.
Sunday 14 November
By Gram
False. He is not a girl, nor is he "still" a girl as the article states. But beyond that, the heterosexist prom titles are irrelevant anyway.
Sunday 14 November
By patrickfny
First, i know a number of cis-women that do not menstruate and a number of men that don't use urinals. Neither of those is valid nor should even BE discussed.
Next: "I agree with LiL, the rules are and have always been simple. A (male) gender student is voted for king, a (female)gender is voted for queen."
Oak IS male gender. Gender is how you identify. Sex is what is assigned to you at birth and in your chromosomes. So no, a male gender student was stripped of his homecoming crown.
Wednesday 29 September
By Rational
Seems simple to me. Vote for a male to be king and a female to be queen. This problem is not a school problem. The problem seems to be that the girl does not know what she is. She should be in a mental institution to help her determine her sex. She is so convinced that she has even fooled some of the administrators. There is a sure way to tell if you are a girl or boy.
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Wednesday 29 September
By Sammie
In a mental institution? LOL.. how old are you?