LGBTQ+ students win Ohio prom king and queen in ‘iconic moment.’ Then came the vitriol
More than a week after LGBTQ+ students were crowned prom king and queen of their Ohio high school, their coronation continues to be a topic of discussion.
Rosie Green and Dais’ean Conley, who according to the Dayton Daily News are gender fluid 18-year-olds, were crowned during the Kettering Fairmont High School prom Saturday, April 22. Green was named king and Conley won the title of queen.
“The LGBTQ really took over last night,” Conley said in a Facebook post April 23. “Is it really an iconic moment if there isn’t a group of haters?”
“Thank you to everyone who supported me in any way,” Green said in an Instagram post. “I love you all and cannot believe tonight was real.”
Conley and Green had both petitioned at their school to try to win the honor. Green even had an Instagram page — @rosiegreen4King — devoted to their prom king prospects.
Their fellow students voted for Green and Conley, but that did not stop the outpouring of anger.
“Even when I was given the crown and I put (it) on my head, there’s a lot of boos in the crowd,” Conley told WDTN. “I didn’t hear them. I only heard the congratulating, which I was very thankful for.”
Their coronation reportedly became a subject during a Kettering Board of Education meeting Tuesday, May 2.
Joe Overholser told the board he believes Conley should have won the king title and Green be named queen, according to the Daily News.
“I’m concerned about what’s going on in the schools,” he added. “I’m concerned about normalizing the idea of questioning gender.”
At least one other Kettering resident also expressed their opposition of the selection, the Daily News reported. But the board does not plan on taking any action, according to WDTN.
Despite some people contesting the honors, Green and Conley were met with support during the board meeting.
A “Love is Louder” gathering was held outside the school board meeting.
“Show the kids that love is louder in response to the hate being shown and attendees planning on voicing that hate at the school board meeting,” a Facebook post in advance of the gathering said.
This story was originally published May 3, 2023 at 3:54 PM with the headline "LGBTQ+ students win Ohio prom king and queen in ‘iconic moment.’ Then came the vitriol."