When an openly gay high school senior was voted prom queen at his Los Angeles high school last weekend, the school’s students and officials not only accepted it, they basked with pride in being one of the most diverse and tolerant schools in the nation.

“Tears were almost falling down my face,” said Sergio Garcia, 18, of the moment he was named prom queen at Fairfax Senior High School in Hollywood Saturday night, where he beat out eight girls for the crown. “It was a really emotional moment,” Garcia told ABCNews.com.  

Hoping to pursue a career in cosmetology after his June graduation, Garcia said that the large majority the 547 seniors in his class were in support of his bid for prom queen and not prom king, the title some might deem more appropriate for a male student.

“Prom queen suited my personality the most,” said Garcia. “I need to prove to myself I could be myself.”

I read this story several times before I could comprehend it all.

Its clear to me that high school is VERY different from when I attended.