Wearing a fiery red skirt and a sparkling sequin-covered tuxedo top that perfectly matched his red hair, 16-year-old Korben White caused a huge stir online after arriving at his school prom in a spectacular outfit.
It all began with a post shared by his mother, Nina Green. She posted photos of her son ready for the school prom, and the post quickly went viral.
Some internet users praised his courage and sense of style, while others criticized both his appearance and his mother, claiming it was a “parenting failure” and an example of “the corruption of the modern world.”
Korben was only 12 years old when he told his mother that he wanted to attend his school prom wearing a dress.
Four years later, he made that dream come true.
The teenager, who also performs as a drag queen under the stage name Miss Frou Frou, created a unique look inspired by actor Billy Porter.
As Nina Green explained in an interview with the BBC, her son wanted to show both his masculine and feminine sides at the same time.
“HE WANTED TO GO AS HIMSELF — WITH A TUXEDO TOP AND A DRESS ON THE BOTTOM. HE WANTED TO BE KORBEN… BUT IN A DRESS,” SHE SAID.
When he stepped out of the car in front of the school in his red, sparkling outfit with a huge bow and a white shirt, the students and teachers greeted him with applause.
The boy’s mother admitted that she herself burst into tears from emotion.
“Everyone started clapping and cheering. Some teachers were crying too, because they could see that he was able to simply be himself,” she recalled.
Nina Green later posted photos of her son on social media and wrote:
“When he was 12, he said he wanted to go to his school prom in a dress. Four years later, we managed to make it happen. I am incredibly proud that he remains himself.”
The post gained millions of views and thousands of comments from around the world.
THE POST EVEN REACHED MICHELLE VISAGE, A JUDGE ON RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE, WHO WROTE:
“You are an amazing mother, and your child is a true star.”
Korben himself admitted that the celebrity’s reaction felt “very surreal” to him.
Many parents began sharing their own stories about children who also wanted to express themselves through fashion.
One person wrote:
“My son would love to wear something like that to prom too, but unfortunately, he would not have the school’s support. It is sad that homophobia still exists.”
Another woman spoke about her transgender son, who had to leave school before prom because of bullying.
However, there was no shortage of extremely harsh critical comments either.
SOME INTERNET USERS CLAIMED THAT THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR “DESTROYS CHILDREN” AND IS “UNNATURAL.”
Despite the wave of hate, Nina Green had no intention of backing down.
