Kennedy Catholic High School in Burien has had its first pair of prom queens. Their names are Payton and Marilyn, and they are part of Kennedy's graduating class of 2023. Their last names have not been shared due to safety reasons.

"[It] definitely felt like a full circle moment to feel like we did something," Marilyn said in an interview with KING 5 News. "It felt like we were making history."

The couple won their crowns in their end-of-the-year senior prom at the Columbia Club at the top of the Columbia Tower, cheered on by a crowd filled with their peers.

KING 5 reporter Cornelius Hocker broke the story by making a viral TikTok about it.

"I had the chance to work on such a great story today," Hocker said in their TikTok. "A Catholic high school here in Western Washington recently had [its] prom where two prom queens were crowned, Marilyn & Payton. They've been dating for 2.5 years. I got the chance to interview their parents, Marilyn's mom & Payton's dad, who beamed with pride for their daughters. They also spoke candidly about their reservations and fears for their children."

Payton and Marilyn have received mostly support from their classmates.

"Once they said our names it was really cool to hear everyone cheer and to feel like they were like the unwavering support," Marilyn said.

"A few people came up to us after and were crying and were like, 'Oh my gosh.'" Payton said in an interview with KING 5.

This prom win comes just three years after two Queer teachers were fired from Kennedy over being a part of the LGBTQ+ community. In February 2020, the teachers were called to resign by the school's president and principal after their engagements with their same-sex partners came to light.

"With all this stuff about teachers being fired, there was a lot of uncertainty," Marilyn said. "We had sit-ins and walkouts and we protested up in Seattle."

The notion of her child being part of a Queer prom court couple did not even seem possible to Marilyn's mother, Catherine.

"You couldn't be out in a Catholic school," Catherine said in an interview with KING 5. "Not when I was in high school . . . it's still a difficult arena, high school, in itself . . . But for them to be on the prom court, in itself, it's like, what a great opportunity for them, and then to be voted by their peers. You know it gave me hope for the future. And I was honestly surprised . . . I didn't think they'd let them win."

"So I was really proud of all the students for voting for them," Catherine said. "You know, they're two fabulous young women, like extremely intelligent, kind, engaged and involved in all the different activities, you know, so I'm not surprised that they were voted, you know, by their peers. But, you know, they can have all of that and still have the prejudices that are out there. So, you know, but it really does give me faith in their generation that maybe they can come in and fix some of the things that we haven't been able to fix yet."

"I do think the kids are all right," Payton's father said in an interview with KING 5. "And authenticity for this generation is so important. It's so out front for them. And these two are living proof of that."

If you are a Queer teenager seeking support in the Seattle area, check out these resources:
Gay City, https://www.gaycity.org
Gender Spectrum Youth Programs, https://genderspectrum.org/audiences/youth
Lambert House, https://www.lamberthouse.org
The Northwest Network, https://www.nwnetwork.org

If you are a parent who wants to learn how to better help your Queer child, check out the following resources:
Gender Spectrum Parenting Resources, https://genderspectrum.org/audiences/parents-and-family
Human Rights Campaign, https://www.hrc.org
The Safe Zone Project, https://thesafezoneproject.com
The Trevor Project, https://www.thetrevorproject.org