As word widens across the nation about the brave, entirely uncommon course that a young man named Niko Walker carved for himself this school year, there is a strong chance that thousands and more Americans will be revering him as a hero.
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King Niko and Queen Lovely Asumbrado
A popular senior — remember the adjective — at Culver City High School, he decided, in the dueling loneliness/enviable comfort of his own mind that this would be the season when he would take the longest, most courageous stride against the unsettling internal feelings he has been battling daily since he was a little girl several years old. That early, he recognized the apparent confusion, that he ostensibly was a girl, but truthfully he was a boy in a girl’s body.
A smiling, delightfully self-assured transgender, the correctness of his life-changing decision was happily and universally confirmed 10 days ago when fellow students elected Mr. Walker King of Homecoming, to reign alongside Queen Lovely Asumbrado.
Bearing a burden few are asked to shoulder, the pockmarked pathway he is traveling is littered, ahead and behind, with stomach-churning verdicts that call for the immense fortitude he has convincingly, consistently demonstrated for his legion of youthful and adult supporters. By the time his genuine valiance is recognized next spring at high school graduation, the concept will be so clearly associated with Mr. Walker that the audience, as one, will be able to lip synch the commendation.
Starting with Homecoming and bending back, very personally and tenderly, to his much earlier years, here, in his words, is Niko Walker’s story:
“This year we had the option of running for King or Queen for Homecoming and prom. My friends encouraged me to run for King. At first, I was like, no, I don’t want to do that. My best friend Carmen told me, though, if I won, it would be huge. With all of the negative things going on with the LGBT community, this kind of positive story would bring light to it. Things will get better.
“I submitted an application, and I campaigned last month. I ran with someone who is part of the LGBT community as well. Originally there were 13 girls and seven guys. We made it through the first round when people are eliminated. We made it to Prince and Princess. Eventually, there were four of each. After the (final) voting, we had to wait for a week until the Homecoming Game came around. At the game, there was a parade, and then all of us were lined up. First they announced the Queen, Lovely Asumbrado.
“Then they said my name. But I wasn’t sure they had said my name. There was a Dominic, a Nicholas and another guy, and I thought, ‘Wait, did they just say my name?’ Suddenly all the guys yelled ‘Niko, go!’ My first thought was, ‘Oh, crap. I think I just won!’
I stepped forward, and then I thought, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’ Everybody was yelling at me (congenially), and lots of people were telling me what to do. I took the Queen, and we just stepped forward and smiled.
After they took all of the pictures, people were congratulating me and saying over and over ‘this is amazing.’ There was a lot of positive publicity that followed.
But I feel this isn’t exactly about me winning. It’s cool I won, but it really reflects our community as so accepting and open to new things. This is how the world should be. But it’s not. I am not sure why this happened. But all of Culver City, not just the high school, is really diverse, and they are a positive influence on everybody. Like, I can interact with different people, and nothing is wrong. When they get to experience other kinds of cultures, that opens their minds a little more.
The Journey Begins
What is happening now has been a long time coming. When I was little, I used to be a tomboy. I didn’t think I was a boy. I just thought I was a girl who liked boy things.
I have two brothers and a sister. Growing up, I liked to play boy stuff with my brothers. We played cars, action figures, Power Rangers, all that stuff. I was never really interested in girl things until the ninth grade. That was when I tried to do girly things. I wanted to fit in because I was new here at Culver.
(To be continued)
