Missouri’s first male student to be crowned homecoming queen is speaking out about the criticism he faced after making history.
In October 2021, Zachary Willmore became the first male student ever crowned homecoming queen at Rock Bridge High School in Columbia, Missouri. Wearing a sparkling gold gown, he accepted the crown and sash on the school’s football field, creating a moment that quickly gained national attention.
Speaking with KOMU 8 News at the time, Zachary described the experience as unforgettable.
“It was literally like a dream. It was just really special to me,” he said.
His historic win sparked widespread debate online. While many celebrated the milestone, others criticized the decision, arguing that the title should have gone to a female student.
Rather than avoiding the spotlight, Zachary embraced it. He continued sharing his life on TikTok, where his confidence and authenticity attracted a large audience. Today, at 22 years old, he has more than 2.3 million followers, posting everything from “get ready with me” videos to discussions about homophobia, hate crimes, and politics.
Although four years have passed since his homecoming victory, the story continues to resurface. In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Zachary said he believes some of the renewed coverage is designed to provoke outrage.
“I feel like some of these articles that have come out recently are meant to enrage people,” he said.
“I see the highlighted words. It’s like, ‘Homecoming queen in the state of Missouri — who is a man.’ I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this is so obviously trying to rage-bait people.'”
Looking back, Zachary said many critics assumed he had taken the title away from a girl, but he explained that wasn’t how the school’s election worked.
According to him, the school only crowned one homecoming winner, regardless of gender. Candidates could choose whether they wanted the title of homecoming king or homecoming queen. Zachary chose queen.
“It was based off of popularity at the time and how many votes one specific person could garner regardless of the title,” he told PEOPLE.
“At this point, I think that some people intentionally misunderstand.”
The backlash became so intense that a TikTok video showing his official crowning was removed after being mass reported.
“I think a lot of people were coming to report it just because they were really upset,” Zachary said.
He also revealed that the controversy led to death threats being sent to his home.
“I am definitely so much tougher of a person because of that experience, because I did get death threats sent to my house,” he shared.
Despite everything, Zachary says he remains proud of making history as Missouri’s first male homecoming queen.
“I definitely thought it was going to be one of the other guys at my school because he was just so popular,” he recalled. “It was really nice. I was excited about it.”