Last week, 16-year-old Cassidy Lynn Campbell of Huntington Beach, California, was crowned homecoming queen at Marina High School. And here's why that's special; Cassidy was born Lance.


Cassidy is one of the first-ever transgender high school beauty queens in the country. "I wasn't doing this for me," she told her local ABC affiliate after being crowned the winner. "I was doing this for so many others, so many others around the nation," she said, admitting that she'd always considered herself a girl, even though she was technically born a biological male.

Cassidy transitioned three years ago, with the full support of her mother. And while she faced some criticism and ridicule, she says it's all been worth it because she can now help others. "My goal isnt to be famous, it's to open people's eyes to the world around them, to teach people to be open minded and to rethink social norms." [ABC]