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This Gay Police Officer's 'Formation' Performance Won the Internet and Our Hearts
Openly gay Lt. Deuntay Diggs channeled Beyoncé at a recent high school pep rally and instantly became a viral inspiration.
Sometimes the right kind of content goes viral. At a pep rally in North Stafford, V.A. last week, 2nd Lieutenant Deuntay Diggs of the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office stole the show with a no-holds-barred performance of Beyoncé's "Formation." The crowd couldn't have been more responsive, and we can't stop watching the video that took Twitter by storm.
\u201cMy sister teaches at a high school in Virginia and she just sent me this video of their county lieutenant dancing to formation @ a pep rally\u201d— here for harry\ud83e\udd85 (@here for harry\ud83e\udd85) 1476475717
This isn't the first time Lt. Diggs has gotten into formation. He first went viral on Instagram two months ago when a video of his routine surfaced. See where it all started right here:
But not only are Lt. Diggs' moves inspiring - he's also the first openly gay deputy at his office and the first openly gay cadet at Virginia Military Institute. According to Gay Star News, when he came out as a freshman in high school, he was disowned by his foster family.
"I told one person at the school, and I asked her not to tell anybody, and [then it] spread like wildfire," Lt. Diggs stated, "I spent roughly the next year in isolation. That was the worst year of my life, but also the best. I had to figure out how to love myself, and what I wanted to be."
He's now engaged to a North Stafford High School teacher, and we couldn't be happier for the cute couple.
\u201cThis is him and his fianc\u00e9 I'm CRYING. Love is love is love \ud83d\udc98\u201d— here for harry\ud83e\udd85 (@here for harry\ud83e\udd85) 1476475717
Lt. Diggs originally planned to cancel his pep rally performance, as he had just learned his birth mother had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. However, after showing her his videos, she insisted he go on with the routine. And, especially considering the meaning behind it, we're glad he did.
"‘The reason I’m doing this is to show kids that they can make it, that they can survive, that they can be successful. I’ve been very fortunate, at this time when people look negatively upon law enforcement, that I’m able to change that narrative and open up some conversations and engage with people."
Catch more of the magic here:
@NSHSWolverines @nshs_2017 #PepRally #SENIORS2017 pic.twitter.com/0xkFACUMOA
— Lino Romo Reyes (@imxlino) October 14, 2016
We're so glad to see Lt. Diggs making waves across the internet, and we certainly hope we see some more of his moves soon!
