Girl who would be a prom king loses
Transgender candidate who was glad to break barrier avoids the media Saturday.
By Denny Boyles / The Fresno Bee04/22/07 06:04:12
As they stepped out of cars and limousines and made last-minute adjustments to their outfits, most Fresno High School students seemed reluctant to talk about the reason their prom had become national news.
They were all well-dressed, they all smiled -- but most politely said "no thank you" when asked about a classmate nominated for prom queen who ran for prom king instead.
She lost. Shortly after 10 p.m., students selected senior Dan Abril as prom king and senior Corissa Compos as queen.
The would-be king, Cinthia Covarrubias, considers herself transgender, a term for people whose gender identity or expression differs from the *** they were assigned at birth.
Covarrubias -- a senior who sought to become the first transgender prom king at Fresno High -- ducked cameras and interviews by using a back door Saturday evening at the Holland Park West venue. She sent a school administrator out to ask television crews to not tape her or her family.
On Friday, Covarrubias had said she was glad to have broken a barrier for future transgender students.
On Saturday, however, Fresno Unified School District Assistant Superintendent John Marinovich, who is in charge of high schools, said Covarrubias wanted to make those her last words on the subject.
"She and her parents do not want to be taped, or interviewed, at all," Marinovich told reporters gathered near the sign-in table. "She feels strongly enough about it that she came in through a back entrance. I hope you won't spoil the evening for her."
Marinovich and district spokeswoman Susan Bedi later said that the coronation of the prom king and queen would be closed to anyone but students and chaperones.
Bedi said the votes were counted by a group that included the junior class president, the student body president, a teacher and two administrators.
Deana Giles, of Fresno, whose daughter attended the prom, said before the vote that she didn't support Covarrubias' candidacy for prom king.
"Why did she have to be prom king in the first place?" Giles asked after dropping her daughter off at the prom. "Tradition is tradition. Girls are prom queens, boys are prom kings. I think the world is getting too politically correct. Some things should be left as they are."
Giles said that Covarrubias appeared to have put her own feelings ahead of the other students nominated for prom king or queen.
"It puts them all in an awkward position," Giles said. "I don't have a problem with her ****** identity. Tolerance has grown, but why does she need to make things awkward for the other kids? There's a time and place to make a stand. To me, this isn't it."
Junior Michael Martin said that even though he knew many students supported Covarrubias -- and planned to vote for her -- he was not among them.
"I feel, not to be mean, but I think she should not have run," Martin said. "It's creepy."
The reporter can be reached at
dboyles@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6659.
