George Mason University elected a drag queen as Ms. Mason for the first time in the school’s history.

Reann Ballslee, also known as GMU senior Ryan Allen, won the title as part of the Mr. and Ms. Mason contest, an annual competition held during the school’s homecoming. Allen, who represents GMU’s Pride Alliance and hosts the campus’ annual drag show, received the title during halftime at Saturday’s basketball game against the Northeastern Huskies.

“Personally, it’s exciting,” Allen told Connect2Mason. “But I feel like the win is bigger than me. It says a lot about Mason and the student body. Not only do we go to a very diverse school, but that diversity is celebrated regularly – even at the homecoming game.”

While some GMU students share that sentiment, the Washington Post’s report notes “others said his election was an embarrassing setback to Mason’s recent efforts to revamp its image from a suburban commuter school to a distinguished institution of higher learning.”

Nonetheless, GMU is “fine with it,” according to spokesman Daniel Walsch.