Kasey Caron, Transgender High School Senior, Petitions School To Run For Homecoming King
Kasey Caron, a transgender senior at Richland High School in Pennsylvania, is asking that he be put on the homecoming court’s male ballot in spite of being born a woman. Although his request has not yet been denied, the school board’s decision to reevaluate the situation was enough of a letdown.
“I am disappointed,” Kasey told The Tribune-Democrat. “I thought they were going to have a change of heart. I am still hoping for one.”
Kasey was born with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormone imbalance that causes the ovaries to mass-produce the male hormone androgen. Unfortunately, PCOS is one of the most common causes of female infertility.
Even though Kasey’s family, friends, and teachers identify him as a man, school board member Timothy Leventry maintains that a sex change is only considered legal after a physician’s certification that changes the gender on the individual’s birth certificate.
“There is a legal side of this issue and there is a practical side,” Leventry told The Tribune-Democrat. “The school board has looked at the legal side. Tonight, the practical side is coming forward. The board wants to fully look at these issues and take this matter under further advisement.”
The Richland school board is expected to revisit this issue at its next scheduled meeting on Sept. 23, during which a public vote could decide the outcome. President of the board, Michael Bodolosky, said that he expects an answer before Richland High School's homecoming game on Oct. 5.
"I'm really hoping the school board will have a change of heart on the matter," Kasey told The Advocate. "Not only for me and my sake, but to set the standard for schools everywhere that transgender students and really all LGBTQ students deserve the same privileges and respect as anyone else."