'I feel validated': Utah high school crowns the state's first ever transgender prom queen - and she is overjoyed with her title

• Maka Brown, 18, was elected prom queen by her classmates at Salt Lake City's School for the Performing Arts 
• She is the first transgender prom queen crowned in the state of Utah 
• The senior says she had 'nothing but gratitude' for her supportive classmates, boyfriend, and family as she accepted the tiara

By James Gordon For Dailymail.com

Published: 10:46 EST, 5 May 2015 | Updated: 14:09 EST, 5 May 2015

A high school senior has revealed the joy that she felt after being chosen as Utah’s first ever transgender prom queen.

For Maka Brown, 18, it wasn't just just a big moment for her to be crowned prom queen of her high school, but also for her peers at the Salt Lake School for Performing Arts, who took a huge step towards gender equality by showing their unwavering support for their classmate and voting for her to receive the prestigious honor.

'It was like, I can't believe this is happening to me right now,' she explained to KUTV, adding: ‘It was just really validating for me.’

Crowned: Prom queen Maka Brown, 18, is pictured center in a sea foam green dress, beside the prom king, Jasper Clayton, and Liliana Huettlinger, prom princess

Acceptance: The high school senior says being crowned prom queen at last weekend’s prom is a validation of being transgender

Sharing her story with People magazine, Maka says she has come a long way from fearing her classmates' reactions to her gender identity to being crowned queen.

'The people at my school are so accepting and so supportive - they accept me exactly as I am,' she explained.  'It's a scary thing when you first come out and tell people you're transgender, but everyone has been great. My friends at school have helped me to live an authentic life, to be who I am.' 

Maka was looking forward to attending the gala event with her boyfriend, 19-year-old Ross Ditman, but admitted she had no idea what surprises awaited her later in the evening.  

The high-school senior borrowed a mint-green gown from her mother and let her younger sister, 16-year-old Belle, fix her hair. 

Although she looked and felt like a princess, she was stunned to receive the coveted tiara.  

The accolade is all the more impressive when you consider that Maka didn't even realize she was transgender until two years ago, when she hit puberty, and began feeling uncomfortable with the person she was becoming. 

Although she did not have a label for how she felt, she explained that she 'knew that she was different and that she didn't fit in'. 

Surprise: Make never dreamed she'd bring home a sparkling tiara from her election as prom queen

Overjoyed: Maka was crowned prom queen at Salt Lake School for Performing Arts

'I was turning into a guy and I didn't like it,' she added to KUTV. 'All these awful changes were happening that I didn't identify with or didn't want to happen to me. It just felt so foreign.'

It was at the age of 16, after reading an article about transgender teens Maka was able to put a name to her unfamiliar feelings and this gave her the courage to come out to her family and friends.

And now, two years later, Maka, who juggles and performs on the trapeze, says she feels happy that she has been 'validated' by those who are close to her.

She hopes that her experience will help other teens to feel as confident and happy in themselves, adding to Fox 59 that she hopes her peers 'strive to be the most authentic person you can because authenticity is tantamount to happiness.'

While Maka has now found acceptance from her classmates however, she explained that it was hard for her family to accept the change initially. 

Her mom, Toni, 46, struggled with understanding her daughter's gender at first and hoped she would 'grow out of it'.

She ended up going to therapy to talk things through but as soon as she finally accepted Maka for who she was, her daughter 'blossomed'. 

Feeling herself: Maka only became aware of her transgender nature two years ago. At the age of 16, she read an article about transgender teens. It helped put a name to her unfamiliar feelings

On a high: Maka struts through Salt Lake City during a pride parade. She wants to be a circus performer

'When she was my son, she was just a beautiful boy and talented but was having some depression and not feeling good about herself,' Toni told ABC News. 'When she was beginning to develop, she had some insecurity.'

'She ended up going to a Pride festival, just for fun, and learned the word transgender and brought it home and was happy and relieved,' Toni added. 'She said, "I'm not the only one who feels like this."'

Speaking of her prom queen title, the Utah school's principal, Dr. Susan Brady, gave credit to the other pupils for being so accepting of their classmate.

'She's a wonderful addition to our student body,' she added to ABC. 'This school is extremely accepting and non-discriminatory and we are very, very proud of Maka and this incredible voting on her to be prom queen.'

Although Maka would like to have gender-reassignment surgery, she is specifically focused on her career and hopes to become a professional performer and acrobat.

Her dream, once she graduates high school in June, is to join a traveling circus.

Now that she is comfortable in her own skin, she is well on the way to achieving that goal.

Comments (4)

Share what you think

• Newest
• Oldest
• Best rated
• Worst rated

 View all

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now