Cristian Hernandez lived his moment when he was named prom king at his Indiana high school.
Cristian is an 18-year-old senior at Jeffersonville High School. The area, located 2 miles from the Kentucky border, isn't known as the most inclusive in the country. That still didn't stop the nonbinary student, who uses he and they pronouns, from being named prom king by his peers.
Cristian's big moment went viral when they took the floor in full drag to accept the honor. Cristian hopes the moment, which meant so much to them, brings joy to the many kids out there like them.
Cristian has gotten over 150,000 views on a TikTok video showing the moment he was crowned prom king.
"Honestly, when I walked out there, I left everybody speechless," Cristian told Today of the moment.
"In my head I'm thinking, 'I'm not going to win,'" Cristian shared.
"I was just praying to the gay lords."
Cristian has worn a lot of different outfits to school events but was looking for something extra special for this moment.
"I was just planning to do something really crazy for prom, and I thought, 'Why not go in drag?'"
A budding makeup artist, Cristian painstakingly put the look together. It took five hours of hair, makeup, and getting dressed to bring the look to life.
Not all students were so thrilled that Cristian won. Cristian explained that he's learned not to let that bother him.
"The boys at school, they always have a problem with something," Cristian shared.
Cristian's hope is that the viral video will serve as an inspiration to all the kids who want to live their truth but haven't found their way yet.
"I want to inspire people to try and break down those barriers that have been put up," Cristian noted.
"Really be yourself, and confidence is key. You can’t let people tear you down."
