A 16-year-old boy’s decision to wear a red dress to his school prom has gained him immense support and love. Korben, who had expressed his desire to wear a dress to his prom at the age of 12, finally fulfilled his dream at the age of 16. He wore a sequined tuxedo and ballgown skirt to the Archbishop Sancroft High School in Harleston, Norfolk, where he was cheered on by both his peers and teachers, according to a report by the BBC. His mother, Nina Green, shared a photo of her son wearing the dress and expressed her pride in him.
“At age 12, my son announced he wanted to go to his school prom in a gown. Four years later we made it happen. I’m so incredibly proud of him for being true to himself and the reception he got from his whole school was incredible,” she wrote while sharing the pictures. Korben wanted to express his feminine side and attend the prom as himself, with a tuxedo on top and a dress at the bottom, inspired by actor Billy Porter. His mother added, “He wanted to be Korben… but in a dress.”
Korben’s mother, Nina Green, expressed her immense pride in her son for staying true to himself and not conforming to societal stereotypes. She wanted to show him “living his best life” and her support means everything to him. According to Korben, his mother’s support sends a message that anyone can be who they want to be.
When Korben arrived at the Archbishop Sancroft High School in Harleston, Norfolk wearing a sequined tuxedo and a ballgown skirt, he was met with cheers from his peers and teachers. Green tearfully recalls the heartwarming response from the school community, “As soon as he got out of the car, everyone just cheered and I was crying, some of the teachers were crying, because he was being who he wanted to be.”
Korben’s year group has been incredibly supportive, and Green believes that allowing a child to be themselves can only bring out the best in them. “If you let your child be who they are then you’ll get nothing but the best out of them,” she said.
Green emphasized the significance of acceptance, particularly from family and friends. “Although some people in the world still don’t understand, the feeling of being accepted is invaluable. I am thrilled for him,” she stated. She went on to say that another parent had contacted her, seeking advice on how to support her own son, who had recently come out as gay. Green hopes to encourage parents to support their children and wants to show that it is acceptable to do so.
“I genuinely hope that it will promote greater acceptance, give proud parents a sense of community and support, and let young people know that they have a network available to them if they need it. You have to embrace your children for who they are,” she concluded.
The tweet has received more than 122,000 likes, leaving Green and Korben overwhelmed by the love and support on Twitter. One of Korben’s favorite responses was from Ru Paul’s Drag Race star Michelle Visage, who retweeted and praised Green as an amazing and beautiful mom with a star child. Green recalled showing Korben the retweet, and he was absolutely blown away.
During their journey to London Pride, Green’s notifications blew up, and someone even recognized Korben from the tweet, telling him that he was amazing for being himself. Green’s tweet was also flooded with similar stories of parents supporting their children’s self-expression. She also shared a picture of them at Pride, writing that she never expected such a response but that the support and positivity had been overwhelming, drowning out the few negative comments that they disregarded. “It’s his life, and I’m letting him live it,” she wrote.