We worry incessantly about what others think of us.
Do they like me? Am I popular? Does my butt look big in these chaps?
Self-doubt can drown us. Unfortunately, it’s tough to shake. Insecurities follow us from the sandbox to adolescence to adulthood, but here’s some sage advice from an unlikely source:
“The boys at school, they always have a problem with something.”
As we mull these words in our catty queer brains, we’re hearing them in the voice of Bette Davis, swilling a martini and throwing epic shade at anyone who dares cross her path. But no, Bette didn’t compose this marvelously malevolent mantra; it was Cristian Hernandez.
While most of his classmates were deciding which corsage to buy or where to go after the big dance, Cristian was conducting a different train of thought.
“I was just planning to do something really crazy for prom, and I thought, ‘Why not go in drag?’”
Why not, indeed?
Well, for starters, drag ain’t child’s play, child. Cristian tells NBC News that his prom ensemble (#promsemble) required five hours of hair, makeup, and attitude adjustments.
But the payoff? LGBTQIAwesome!
“Honestly, when I walked out there, I left everybody speechless.”
The arrival was just the first chapter of Cristian’s sassy saga. He was nominated for the coveted title of Prom King, and he drew strength from a higher power.
“I was just praying to the gay lords,” chuckles Cristian.
And the pantheon of daddy deities smiled upon him in response. Cristian Hernandez snatched the crown of his Indiana town – sounds like a country song in the making.
@hotboycristian king… queen… whatever you wanna call it im still that bitch #prom #promking #promqueen #drag #gay #LGBT #mothersday #queen #rupualsdragrace #makeup
As for those boys at school who “always have a problem with something,” Cristian has one last missive:
“Really be yourself, and confidence is key. You can’t let people tear you down.”
You go, queen – oops, we mean KING!
@hotboycristian its@ giving prom in drag #prom #promking #winner #latto #2022 #badbitch #gay #dragqueen #playlouisville
Photo: TikTok @hotboycristian
Last modified: May 16, 2022
