College Gives Crown to Dude in Drag

By Rebecca Chambers

Skin color may be the first topic you think of when someone says “diversity,” but race is only one component of this often generalized term. Diversity has recently found a new face and a new role in gay, lesbian, and transgender Americans. One recent (and headlining) example comes from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.  – where a gay male student, who frequently dresses in drag, entered the race for Homecoming Queen.

According to an msnbc.com article, Senior Ryan Allen, who is openly gay and does nightclub performances in drag, originally entered the contest as a joke – he had no idea that he would not only win the title, but become an inspiration for breaking social boundaries. The contest was not sex-specific, but according to University spokesman Dan Walsch, “It’s just that if you’re a man who runs for Ms., you’ve got to dress the part.”

After Allen took the crown, he was touched by Mason University’s willingness to support him, and said “It says a lot about the campus that not only do we have diversity but we celebrate it.” Indeed, Mason University is not just tolerant of alternative lifestyles, it is embracing them. Allen’s win on Feb. 20 launched the school into the spotlight – something that hadn’t happened since 2006, when the school made it to the Final Four of men’s basketball in a decidedly Cinderella-story fashion.

The simple right to live an openly gay life is not tolerated at every university, though. According to an msnbc.com article, in 2006, a gay student was expelled from the University of the Cumberlands, a Baptist school in Kentucky. The male student was expelled after declaring his sexuality on his MySpace page, and in the aftermath there were student protests against the university’s action.

Is every university ready for a male homecoming queen? Maybe not. But some, like Mason University, are willing to give it a shot. In the future, there will no doubt be many reforms to university policies all across America, and gay, lesbian, and transgender students can have their voices heard just as loudly as any other students’. Until then, the struggle for true diversity is ongoing.