Last week, April Swartz-Larson learned she was nominated to be the first lesbian student in McKinney High School’s history to be Homecoming Queen. Then on Friday, April’s classmates proudly named her homecoming queen.

April said she was surprised when she heard students talking about nominating her, as the school had never had any another openly gay student be nominated for the homecoming court before.

“My heart was racing. That moment still doesn’t seem real to me… Before it started, I was totally not expecting it. But by the end I wasn’t really surprised because I heard a lot of people told me they voted for me.

I’m really excited. I try to play it off as having a cool demeanor, but I’ve let that go. I really want to win.”

April Swartz-Larson

April’s friend, McKinney High School senior Emilee Swim, started campaigning with a Twitter message encouraging people to vote for April. Soon, the social media response was enough to get people to make posters and hand out flyers.

“I wasn’t necessarily surprised because everyone loves her. She has the biggest heart. She’s really accepted by everyone.”

Emilee Swim

The road to the homecoming court started with nominations, and April was among the top five write-in vote getters. Last week, the students voted for the king and queen winners, who were announced during halftime homecoming game against Denison.

While the other nominees for queen wore bright-colored dresses, April wore a dark suit with purple shirt and turquoise bow tie. When the announcer named her the winner, she jumped in the air and threw up the punk rock “sign of the horns” with both hands. Someone put a tiara on her head and a sash around her shoulders.

“Did you just Gandhi me?!” yeah, I did. Look at you being the change you want to see Homecoming Queen @anarchycommie pic.twitter.com/m3aRGJR7Ai — Jessica Fisher (@MsFishersClass) October 4, 2014

April’s father, Darrin Larson, said that he was happily surprised when his daughter told him the news. He escorted her onto the field Friday night.

“Her whole kind of being doesn’t say, ‘homecoming queen’. She’s not one of the popular kids, but kids seem to really like her.”

Darrin Larson

He said that April lost some friends when she first came out. Before freshman year started, she cut her long blonde hair short and dyed it black.

April said some friends she had before stopped hanging out with her, and didn’t know what to make of her announcement. Now, however, those friends will say ‘Hi’ to her, and are more accepting of who she is, she said.

“It was pretty hard when I first came out. Everyone’s kind of grown up a little bit, and they’ve seen I’m the same person.”

April Swartz-Larson

Last year, C.C. Winn High School in Eagle Pass voted for two homecoming queens representing the school’s chapter of the Gay-Straight Alliance, rather than selecting a king and queen.

In 2010, a transgender girl was forbidden by the principal at North Dallas High School from running for homecoming queen.

In 2009, the University of North Texas student body voted not to allow same-sex couples to run for homecoming court.

Although she hasn’t been directly targeted for bullying, April said she was surprised to win the homecoming vote as a student in a conservative community.

“It’s kind of cliché, but beyond me I think it’s awesome we live in McKinney, Texas, and that I’d be nominated for queen. It’s incredible.

I’m just proud of everyone I go to school with. I’m just proud to be a part of that.”

April Swartz-Larson