16-year-old boy shatters gender stereotypes by wearing a red dress to prom

Nina Green (@thisisneenz) lets her son walk his path, even if that means going against the so-called society. At 12, her son, Korben, announced that he wanted to go to his school prom in a dress, and four years later, she made that happen. In 2022, Green shared pictures of her 16-year-old dressed in a sequined tuxedo and ballgown skirt for his prom, and it's just magical. 

Green, a proud mom, confessed she takes pride in realizing that her son is brave enough to be true to himself. When Korben, a (then) student of Archbishop Sancroft High School in Harleston, Norfolk, got out of the car, he was greeted with loud cheers, with his mom and teachers crying upon seeing the young man carrying himself with so much grace. Green said she wanted her son to live his best life and had no idea her message would get so much love from people across the world. "If you let your child be who they are, then you'll get nothing but the best out of them. There are people in the world who still don't understand, but the feeling of acceptance — you can't beat that feeling," she told the BBC.

Korben had always loved wearing dresses since his early teens, his mom said. In fact, he had performed as the "sassy" drag queen Miss Frou Frou. However, for his school prom, he wanted to represent his true self, but in a dress. "He want[ed] to go as himself, while expressing his feminine side, with a tuxedo on the top and a dress at the bottom, very much influenced by [American actor] Billy Porter," Green said. The day following his prom, Korben and his mom were at the Pride festival in London when they realized the love they had been receiving on social media. Her tweet had been retweeted more than 4,000 times, including by RuPaul's Drag Race star Michelle Visage — her son's idol. Moreover, she said she wanted parents dealing with a similar situation to know that it's alright. "I really hope it will help others be more accepting, let proud parents feel they are not alone and that they can celebrate their children, and for young people to know there is a network there if they need it," she said.

Despite the awareness, people from the LGBTQ+ community continue to struggle for acceptance in our society. At times, they're even disowned by their family and closest friends for showing their true identity. A survey of 3,695 adults by Just Like Us, a UK charitable organization, found that 46% of LGBTQ+ young adults are estranged from at least one family member, and 31% are not confident that their parent/guardian will accept them. Luckily, Korben is someone who doesn't fall in this category, and his mom's support, acceptance, and empowerment are the reasons he can live a dignified life. Praising the mother, @lizkmiller wrote, "What do I think? Ok, so you didn't ask me, but I think your son is amazing, and I have to take a mom moment here for a massive round of applause for you; you are amazing; you are the one slaying all damn day. Brava, queen. Brava to you both!"

Similarly, a user who goes by @nikki9696 on X commented, "I think humans are weird for assuming that a type of clothing is specific to whether or not someone has particular genitalia. Can’t we wear what we like? Also, holy wow, that dress is amazing! I don’t wear dresses, but that is just gorgeous!" Echoing the sentiments, @alunsaunders said, "Legendary parent; in years to come, your child will thank you so much for supporting them and allowing them to express who they are and how they feel so freely."

You can follow Nina Green (@thisisneenz) on X for parenting content.

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