The first man to ever be crowned homecoming queen in Missouri is speaking out about the criticism he faced after his historic win.
Back in October 2021, Zachary Willmore made headlines across the country when he was crowned homecoming queen at Rock Bridge High School. Videos from that night showed him standing proudly on the football field in a sparkling gold gown, smiling as he accepted his crown and sash.
“It felt like a dream,” he told KOMU 8 News at the time. “It was just really special to me.”
Zachary’s win was unprecedented — no male student had ever received the title before. While many people celebrated the moment as a milestone for self-expression and inclusion, it also sparked backlash online.
But Zachary didn’t shy away from the attention. Even before that night, he had built a following on TikTok, where he expressed his personality and confidence. His page quickly gained traction, and today, at 22 years old, he has more than 2.3 million followers.
Now a senior at San Diego State University, Zachary continues to post videos that reflect his life and views — from lighthearted “get ready with me” clips to discussions about homophobia, hate crimes, and politics. Though four years have passed since his homecoming queen moment, the story continues to resurface.
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Zachary said that some of the renewed coverage feels designed to provoke outrage.
“I feel like some of these articles are meant to make people angry,” he said. “I see the headlines — ‘Homecoming queen in the state of Missouri — who is a man.’ And I’m like, this is so clearly trying to rage-bait people.”
He also addressed one of the main criticisms he’s received — that by becoming homecoming queen, he supposedly took the spot from a female student. Zachary clarified that this wasn’t true. His school only crowned one winner, regardless of gender, and he simply chose the title “queen” instead of “king.”
“It was all based on popularity and how many votes one person could get,” he explained. “It wasn’t about gender. At this point, I think some people are intentionally misunderstanding.”
Zachary also revealed that his original TikTok video of the crowning was taken down after being mass-reported by critics. “A lot of people were upset,” he said. “I became a tougher person because of that. I even got death threats sent to my house.”
Despite the negativity, Zachary remains proud of his accomplishment and what it represents.
“I really thought one of the other guys would win because he was so popular,” he told PEOPLE. “So when my name was called, I was shocked — but also really excited. I’m still proud of that moment.”
What began as a high school celebration turned into a defining chapter of his life — one that continues to inspire conversation, resilience, and self-expression years later.