Four years after making national headlines, Zachary Willmore is addressing the ongoing controversy surrounding his historic 2021 crowning as homecoming queen at Rock Bridge High School in Missouri.
**A Historic Moment**
In October 2021, Zachary stood on his high school’s football field wearing a glittering gold gown, accepting the crown and sash as the first male homecoming queen in Missouri history. “It was literally like a dream. It was just really special to me,” he told KOMU 8 news at the time.
**Clearing Up Misconceptions**
Now 22 with over 2.3 million TikTok followers, Zachary believes recent articles highlighting his win are designed to provoke outrage. “I see the highlighted words. It’s like, ‘Homecoming queen in the state of Missouri—who is a man.’ This is so obviously trying to rage-bait people,” he told PEOPLE.
He clarified that contrary to popular belief, he didn’t steal a spot “from a girl.” The school only crowned one winner regardless of gender, based purely on popularity and votes. Students could choose to be called “homecoming king” or “homecoming queen”—Zachary chose the latter.
“It was based off of popularity at the time and how many votes one specific person could garner regardless of the title,” the San Diego State University senior explained. “At this point, I think that some people intentionally misunderstand.”
**Facing Backlash**
The controversy was severe. A TikTok of his crowning was removed after mass reporting, and Zachary received death threats sent to his home. “I am definitely so much tougher of a person because of that experience,” he said.
**No Regrets**
Despite the hatred, Zachary remains proud of his achievement. “I definitely thought it was going to be one of the other guys at my school because he was just so popular,” he reflected. “It was really nice. I was excited about it.”
Today, he continues creating content addressing homophobia, hate crimes, and politics—refusing to let critics dim his authenticity.
