Skip to main content

Home News News World

Gay teen who won prom king in drag attacked by angry parents

The 19-year-old student received an outpouring of support from fellow students

By Fabio Crispim

A teenager who won prom king in drag has been attacked by angry parents online.

Adam Bell won the title at Powdersville High School in North Carolina with a landslide victory, winning almost 50 per cent of the votes with public knowledge that he would wear a dress to prom. 

The 19-year-old teen, who is openly gay, said that his school has “been so supportive”. However, after a photo of Bell in drag was shared on the school’s Facebook page, the prom king began to receive negative criticism from angry parents, leading the Facebook group to pull the photo from their page. 

One of the comments read: “My heart is breaking to see what is happening to our children and young people. Society and our schools have brainwashed our kids.”

A second person wrote: “It looks like the northern end of the country has leaped off the cliff of sanity.” 

Speaking to WSPA about the negative comments, Bell said: “The kids were actually the ones standing up to the adults and being more supportive than ever.

“I greatly appreciate all my friends and even people I haven’t even talked to at the school who were standing up to the adults and even their own parents who would comment.”

The school issued a statement in support of Bell’s prom win, which read: “This weekend Powdersville High School hosted its annual junior-senior prom.

“Consistent with the school’s long-standing tradition, the students nominated and elected a prom king and queen. This year the king and queen elected were Aston Irby and Adam Bell.”

The criticism hasn’t stopped Bell, however, as he plans on wearing a dress to his graduation later this year.