Shawnee Mission East Annoints Sodomist Homecoming Overlord

From The Pitch:

On a cold February night, the Shawnee Mission East gym is packed. It's Senior Night, and the boys' basketball team is taking on the rival Shawnee Mission South Raiders. It's a close game, and the excitement and tension threaten to sweep the crowd into a frenzy.

...Right above the student bleachers is a homemade sign in the East colors of blue, black and white. It reads: "Thank you SME senior cheerleaders." The names of the squad members are listed, including Reagan, Haley, Matthew, Kirby, Morgan.

The cheerleaders split up into two groups that line up on either side of the basket. Matthew Pope — the tallest member of the squad as well as the only guy — takes a spot in the back row. The 17-year-old, who choreographs all the routines, is one of the three co-captains of the squad.

There's another thing that makes Matthew stand out. He's openly gay. At Shawnee Mission East, a school that's often stereotyped as conservative and snobby.

...At the homecoming dance last October, Matthew stood on the platform stage in the East gym. He was nervous and excited. His friend Sarah Jones, whom he knew from cheerleading, stood by his side and gripped his hand tightly. The gym was hot, and the lights shone brightly onto the homecoming king and queen candidates.

Matthew sported black tux pants, a black button-down shirt and his brother's bright-pink tie. A mass of people crowded the stage as if they were at a concert. He waved to friends. His mom, Teri, a nurse at Olathe Medical Center, stood to one side. He spotted two of his best friends, Serena Verden and Jessica Perbeck, in the middle of the crowd. His boyfriend, James Castle, was resplendent in a black Armani suit and a red tie.


...At the dance, the 12 homecoming king candidates were introduced, and the announcer started counting down the five runners-up.

After the first runner-up was announced, he realized, "Oh, I haven't been called yet." He looked around, trying to figure out which of the remaining candidates was going to be the next king. He conveyed this to Sarah, who assured him again, "You're going to get it."

He felt nervous and reminded himself to calm down.

When the announcer read his name, he stood there, shocked. His heart kept racing. "You won!" Sarah screamed over the uproar from the crowd. She started jumping up and down and grabbed him.

...Looking back, Matthew describes that night. "It was just," he says and then pauses, searching for the right words, "all happy."

Wherever he goes from here, the memory of homecoming will help carry him through: "It was the ultimate feeling of being accepted. I'll be going on now for the rest of my life having that experience. Everyone accepted me, so it's really cool."