Tristan Young, a 17-year-old senior in Oak Park, Missouri, never thought she would be crowned homecoming queen — it didn’t seem like it was in the cards for her high school experience. Young is transgender, and she once thought she wouldn’t transition until after high school because it seemed easier that way. By sophomore year, however, she realized she couldn’t wait, so she came out, and was supported by her friends, teachers, and peers. Though she never imagined it, Young was chosen as her high school’s homecoming queen just two years after her transition.
Unfortunately, the joy of the moment was sullied when right-wing media and commentators picked up the story and used it as the latest weapon in their culture wars. Still, Young is holding strong, staying focused on the unbridled joy she felt when she won the crown.
Teen Vogue catches up with Young to talk about homecoming, the right-wing attacks, and what she wants young trans people to know. The following interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Teen Vogue: What was the day of homecoming like?
Tristan Young: I was so nervous! I woke up, got my Starbucks, and was so focused on getting my eyeliner straight. I did it! [For my walkout song], I chose “Style” by Taylor Swift — my blue dress was giving 1989. My escort was my mother and my banner holders were my two best friends, Ava and Gracie.
It was perfect when I walked out. I was surrounded by the people I love the most. And there was this immense noise from every corner of the gym and it was cheering and continuous. We were just screaming and it felt so good.
TV: Tell me about when you were crowned.
Young: Oh, my God. They said, “Your 2023 homecoming queen is Miss Tristan Young!” And I totally... I was so shocked, because you feel something, and you feel it, but then actually getting to that point is a completely different feeling. It was such a pure moment of excitement and joy and happiness. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
TV: When you were younger, did you ever think this would be your life?
Young: No. This was one of the defining moments in my transition for feeling like a woman. It was something the first trans queen at my school — her name is Landon Patterson — said… was the catalyst into her confidence as a trans woman. I will say that I bet it is the exact same for me. It is an amazing feeling. You can't describe it because it's like [going from] a little boy dreaming of being a girl to [being] homecoming queen.
TV: Your sister saw that the right-wing media had picked up on your being crowned homecoming queen and were talking derogatorily about it. What did that feel like?
Young: People picked up on me and started tearing me apart — [like, you] find out I'm trans and you see me with a crown and you decide that I'm the worst person ever.
At first, it really affected me. I was like, “Oh, I'm just hated by everyone…. If I knew it was going to be like this, I would have dropped out of the running.” All of this stuff. But then I got rallied around by all of my friends. They were saying, like, “As a community, we need to understand that Tristan Young was given homecoming queen not because she's trans, but because she's this and that and that.” It was so healing to see that. It completely flipped my perspective.
Navigating through the dark ocean of hate is hard. But there was a lighthouse of support that guided me through my way. It was so scary at first. I was like, “Why do people care about me this much?” And then it turned into, “Wow, people care about me.”
TV: How do you feel about the whole experience now?
Young: [There’s been] overwhelming support. I have a lot of hate, but I’m not going to focus on that. If I focus on the hate, I'm never going to be happy — I am going to look back and remember this as, “Oh, my God. When I won homecoming queen, it was so awful.” But I want to remember it as, “When I won homecoming queen, it was a moment of pure excitement and joy, and that lasted throughout the entire year.” Because it is.
TV: What do you want to tell young trans people who look up to you?
TY: I want people to know that they can be happy and they can be trans. It's not a disgusting thing. It's not perverted. It's not ugly. It is beautiful. Becoming who you are and having people accept you is beautiful. It is an amazing thing.
