A teenage boy has been received an outpouring of praise for going to prom in a dress, especially after seemingly being harassed by a CEO for his decision.
Per The Tennessean, 18-year-old Dalton Stevens was labeled an "idiot" by the CEO of a medicine company, after the teen decided to attend his senior prom in Franklin, Tennessee, in a gorgeous red gown.
Since the video of the incident went viral on social media, Sam Johnson has lost his job as the CEO of VisuWel, while Stevens is living his best life.
The teen has since explained his decision to steer away from social norms and instead wear a dress to prom, saying that he did so because "clothing is really genderless" and "has no meaning".
But as he smiled for pictures with his boyfriend at a hotel before the high school prom, the teen was allegedly approached by a man who ridiculed his outfit.
The man, who has since been identified as Johnson, allegedly quizzed the teen on his decision to wear a gown, as several people can be heard attempting to diffuse the situation.
Stevens has since responded to the incident saying: "I think I look good in it and that I really like the dress, and I want to show that clothing is genderless.
"And I explained that to him, and he continued to just call me names and just follow me."
The clip, which was recorded by Stevens' boyfriend Jacob Geitmann, shows the teen telling the Johnson to "f*** off".
After harassing Dalton, the man tried to knock the phone from Geitmann's hand. The clips end with Stevens telling Johnson that he is "gorgeous", to which Johnson replies: "Are you?"
Well, it would seem social media users agreed that Dalton did indeed looked gorgeous, and rushed to Twitter to praise the teenager for being true to himself.
One social media user wrote: "You both look FLAWLESS [...] I'm genuinely so sorry that you two were put through such a horrible experience by a disgusting predator. Sending love and peace to you both..."
Another tweeted: "So sorry you all had to deal with that guy. You both look Awesome! I love the red dress!!! Red is his color!"
While a third added: "He looks great! Karma will serve this dude what he deserves. Do not dwell.... you guys keep your head held high and keep doing you.
"I hope you guys otherwise had a lovely evening! Stay strong and do you we’ve all got your backs!"
Messages of support and praise kept pouring in, as one social media user added: "This is a beautiful couple with more courage in their pinkies than most people will know in a lifetime.
"You are strong and wonderful and you should be very proud for standing up for yourselves!! We’re not worthy!!!!!"
The video of the ordeal has since gone viral on social media after being picked up by NBC News.
Johnson's former company VisuWell has also released a statement on the incident, tweeting out that his "behavior was not representative of [their] values".
The company said that Johnson's actions "contradicted the high standards we set for ourselves". A portion of the statement reads:
"Visuwell’s culture emphasizes respect, kindness, and compassion, especially for those from traditionally marginalized communities, and we maintain a zero-tolerance policy for intolerance of any kind.
"Mr. Johnson’s actions contradicted the high standards we set for ourselves in promoting the health of those who use our platform.
"We share the concerns that so many have expressed on this matter and look forward to announcing concrete steps we are taking in support of the LGBTQ community in particular over the coming weeks."
However, despite video proof and the loss of his position in the company, Johnson continues to deny that he was harassing the teen boys.
In fact, the former CEO claims the video has been edited and altered to make him look bad, and that he went over because the pair were being loud - something Stevens denies.
He told Newsweek: "We had just sat down for dinner at this restaurant that we frequent, and I was returning from the restroom when I was presented with their loud cursing.
"Making it about the dress was their idea, and they edited out most of the exchange."
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