Transgendered teen Cassidy Lynn Campbell cried out of joy during what started out as one of the happiest nights of her life. By the end of it, she was in tears for another reason: The hatred and slurs the California teen received were overwhelming. Marina High School named Campbell its homecoming queen Saturday night, making her the first ever transgender homecoming queen in the history of the Huntington Beach school. Campbell took to YouTube after the celebration, calling out the "ignorant" and "negative" comments she received. "I can never have something good happen to me and people just be happy for me - never," she said between sobs while still wearing her tiara, sash and homecoming dress. "I'm always judged and I'm always looked down upon."
The teen was smiling earlier in the evening as TV crews surrounded her coronation. She said she was taken by a sense that she was owning the victory not just herself, but for other transgendered students who are currently living in fear. "I realized that it wasn't for me anymore and I was doing this for so many other people all around, not just the county, and not just the state, but the nation and possibly even the world," she told KTLA 5. "So I am so proud to win this, not just for me but for everyone out there." The 16-year-old already had a following when she kept active Twitter and Youtube accounts about her transition from Lance Campbell to Cassidy Lynn three years ago. She said her goal was not to be famous, but to open people's eyes.
The backlash began brewing even before she was crowned as some students bemoaned the fact that she was one of the top 10 contenders for the title. She said she was made fun of and accused of being a boy who wanted to "play dress up." "They think that I'm just a boy doing this for fun, and I'm just a boy dressing up as a girl and trying to win a crown when that is completely the opposite of what it is," she said. "I've always seen myself as a girl," she said.
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