Note: The Griffin Gazette uses students’ chosen names and pronouns. This has been indicated with parentheses where sources referred to her by her dead name. 

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. — This week, Los Alamitos High School announced nominees for its 2025 prom court. Students voted on May 9, and ASB announced the nominees on Instagram on Wednesday, May 14. Around 11 a.m. that day, Lindsey Graham (@the.patriot.barbie) posted a video attacking senior Brixtina Delgado for running for prom queen as a trans student. 

“Brixtina was nominated by us because we wanted her in prom court,” LAHS junior Duy Dang said. 

Graham, author of “Targeted: One Mom’s fight for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” entered the public spotlight after defying Oregon’s COVID mandates. Her website describes her as a “Republican icon,” “conservative activist” and “faith-fueled Christian.”

In an Instagram direct message, Graham told the Griffin Gazette that an “outraged and concerned” LAHS mother informed her of Delgado running for prom queen. 

“Here are four lovely ladies and one ugly dude posing as a woman,” Graham says in her May 14 video.

Delgado has not engaged with Graham online, but she posted a video to her Instagram this morning as a final call to vote for her with a message of spreading love and peace.

Yesterday, she described to the Griffin Gazette her reaction to seeing Graham’s post. 

“I was shocked, but I was not too surprised. I did expect some type of pushback,” she said. “But it’s gotten to a point where it’s affected my future. This video will follow me.”

Listing the other nominees’ names in a normal voice, Graham pronounces “Brixtina” in an exaggerated deep voice and says she has a “stripper” and “drag queen” name. Graham refers to Delgado as “he” in her video and comments instead of her chosen pronouns of “she/her.” 

“I believe it’s important that all Americans recognize undeniable truth like biology,” Graham said in her DM to the Griffin Gazette. “He is not a girl and will never be a girl. This is a basic truth that a small fraction of loud and uneducated students don’t seem to recognize.”

Delgado has been transsexual, she said, for six years and went on hormones at age 14.

“I grew up a little boy, but I was basically a transgender woman at 12. I’ve never experienced manhood, and people don’t understand that,” she said. “The idea of me being a man and trying to steal the crown is just not true.”

In her video, Graham says LAHS moms informed her that Delgado bribed her peers for votes and bullied other girls to discourage competition. She states that by allowing Delgado to run, LAHS is failing to protect its female students. 

“Any male that wears makeup and dresses like a girl has no right to take opportunities away from real girls. (Delgado) is a boy/man and should be ashamed of himself for stepping into a female space,” Graham told the Griffin Gazette.

She adds in her video that LAHS didn’t allow Delgado to participate in the powder puff football game, a school tradition when junior girls play against senior girls in a friendly flag football game.

“I’m a plastic surgery diva,” Delgado said in response to this claim. “I am not trying to play no powder puff. I have never changed in a girl’s locker room here, not because I was scared to, just because I never did.”

Many LAHS students commented in support of Delgado and trans rights, telling Graham to “get a life,” “stay out of (LAHS’) business” and stop “bullying a literal high schooler.” Graham also received hostile messages that she posted to her stories, tagging @losalamitosusd with the caption “Parents: COME GET YOUR KIDS.”

“(Students) had plenty to say in the way of mocking, slandering and name-calling, none of which creates progress or results,” Graham said. “Grown adults do not lower themselves to those measures to have debates or conversations.”

Some online comments rejected Delgado’s gender identification and said that trans people have a “mental illness.” Graham said the majority of the messages she received were from students opposed to Delgado running for prom queen.

On Wednesday, ASB’s Instagram (@losalofficial) disabled comments on prom court and powder puff posts, likely to limit cyberbullying and direct targeting of LAHS students.

“Very hateful people doing very hateful things,” Matt, an LAHS senior, said. “There was no reason for anything like this to get that big. She is running for prom.”

A hate account (@cleanse.losal) surfaced yesterday, with posts intending to “end” Delgado’s “reign” on LAHS, including a repost from Graham’s account. The account’s stories call on students to send in anonymous tips about Delgado and skip school on Monday, May 19 to protest “their rights being stripped away.”

Monday has already been designated the final senior ditch day by @lahs.senior.info25 (not ASB-affiliated), which posted to their story that @cleanse.losal’s skip day is not related to senior ditch day.

Graham posted a screenshot of @cleanse.losal to her story with the caption that LAHS students are “ready to fight back.” Additionally, Graham shared DM screenshots of people sending information about LAHS staff members and students, tagging @losalofficial.

LAHS ASB declined to give a statement. Isabella Kira, another prom queen nominee, commented on Graham’s post on Wednesday:

“hi so im one of the girls running and idgaf (I don’t give a (explicit)).”

Other Instagram users, including older women, responded to Kira, commenting that she should care about Delgado’s nomination and calling her immature. One commenter said she has a “moonface,” a racial slur sometimes used to describe Asians. 

“They were definitely very gross,” Kira said, referring to these comments. “I don’t understand why they care that much about some random high school’s prom in California.”

In her May 14 video, Graham calls for a “boycott,” “protest” and “exposure” and urges the other prom queen nominees to drop out of the race.  

“I was saddened to see so many little girls advocate for a boy to steal something from them,” Graham said.

Responding to Graham’s post, junior Duy Dang created a digital graphic, which students are posting widely on Instagram, urging fellow Griffins to stand against transphobic bigotry. Their Instagram stories called for students to wear pink, light blue or white (trans flag colors) on Thursday and Friday.

The graphic includes statistics from the Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ youth. In a 2021 research brief, the organization found that 61% of transgender and nonbinary middle or high school students reported being bullied in person or online. 

“I’ve learned true strength. There’s so much love at the school, and we’ve really come together,” Delgado said. 

On Wednesday, Delgado wore a pink sweatshirt with the message “Protect the dolls.” “Dolls” is an affectionate term for trans women in the LGBTQ+ community, and the phrase signifies support for the trans community. 

“I feel like I’m being punished for being myself, but I am not fearful. We’re wearing pink. We’re protecting. There is so much support here,” Delgado said.

Due to threatening online discourse, Delgado said, LAHS hired extra security on campus for Thursday and Friday.

“They have security looking at me,” she added, referring to the LAHS security guard shadowing her on Thursday. “Administration is doing everything they can. I’ve always loved Los Al. The school is very supportive, and I have a whole team behind me.”

This evening, Principal Kraus sent a school-wide email with details on prom safety. There will be an Exposition Park Police Department officer on site, along with the California Science Center’s private security. LAHS’ entire administration team and additional campus supervisors and staff will also be present. 

“While we can’t discipline individuals outside our jurisdiction, we take all threats seriously and provide support to affected students. We are fully committed to (Delgado’s) well-being and dignity,” Principal Kraus said in an email statement to the Griffin Gazette. 

Student voting for LAHS’ 2025 prom court was open today until 3:30 p.m. The winners will be announced at prom the night of Saturday, May 17.