By Katie Manion and Maggie O’Donnell

The campaign for prom king and queen is not something that is taken lightly. This year, excitement ran even higher as transgender student Alan Belmont ran for prom king and won. The 2017 prom king and queen elections were the first in which a transgender student had participated in and even won.

“I felt very supported in my decision to run and my classmates were very accepting and rooted me on,” Belmont said.

However, Belmont had encountered instances where he wasn’t supported.

“I was at lunch and I got a text from my friend who sent me a picture of a flier and someone scratched out king and wrote queen and it was obviously an attack on being trans,” Belmont said.

Situations like these did not extinguish Belmont’s drive for his campaign, he still had a lot of support pushing him forward.

“My choir director, Mr. Raunick, was my biggest supporter and he always lets me dance with the guys in our numbers,” Belmont said.

When Belmont was announced as the 2017 prom king, his name was followed by a thunder of cheers. Many students were pleased with the results along with Belmont himself.

“Good for him and good for our school. I’m so happy for him,” sophomore Ella Whiteman said.

The school supported him through his endeavor, allowing him to have the same opportunities as other students who planned to join the running for prom king or queen.

“Alan didn’t have to jump through any extra hoops and since he had good discipline and attendance, he was able to be on the ballot for prom king and queen and was treated just like anybody else. Alan is just a wonderful boy and I was so excited when I told him his name would be on the ballot,” assistant principal Tymika Payne said.

With the decision to run, Belmont had a specific message in mind to get out.

“I have never seen a trans person represented fully, except for on TV shows, and I wanted someone younger to know that being trans isn’t the same as being a cripple,” Belmont said.

Belmont will be remembered as the first transgender prom king at NC.

Belmont does not have any further plans after winning prom king, but his goal is that his big win inspires people and gives the message he planned to pass on.