Some Blacksburg High School students had a different choice for prom queen this year: the winner was a man.
Jake Boyer was senior class secretary, a choir member, editor of his school's literary magazine, and now prom queen.
"This was as much a social experiment as it was a fun thing to do," explained Boyer.
He's a well-known and outgoing student at Blacksburg High School who had a big announcement this past school year.
"I came out of the closet this year, and I already knew everyone at school was incredibly open about it," Boyer said.
He kept it a secret for a year, but his friends and family were immediately accepting. So, it wasn't a surprise when friends urged him to run for high school prom queen.
"He was like oh my goodness let's run with that," recalled Jake's friend Bailey Steele.
"This prom queen thing sort of became a manifestation of all right this is who I am. It's time to show it off," Boyer explained.
He was crowned Blacksburg High School's 2011 Prom Queen.
"Obviously everybody was more than willing to go with an openly gay male prom queen," he said.
Boyer dressed in drag as performer Lady Gaga.
"I was initially met with some skepticism and I met with them and said I want to do this."
"They actually decided about letting Jake being prom queen two weeks before prom, but they didn't tell anyone because they didn't want the media showing up or anything," explained Steele.
Boyer graduates soon and will attend Pace University in New York City for theatre.
He'll always be most proud of how accepting everyone was of him at Blacksburg High School, and the moment he was crowned prom queen.
"More than anything, this experience just gave me hope for the future. Like, oh my gosh, this little town in the middle of Virginia is able to be this open,"
As for those who don't agree...
"I would like to paraphrase Lady Gaga when I say this is me. This is who I am. I was born this way," said Boyer.
NEWS7 also contacted Blacksburg High School Principal Michael Hurst.
He declined to comment on the story and referred us to Boyer.
He told us the freshman, sophomore and junior students were busy taking Standards of Learning tests.
So, it's unclear if there was much opposition at the school.
