Teen wins prom king while wearing a dress -- but not everyone is happy

An 18-year-old from South Carolina is making headlines for winning prom king while wearing a two-piece dress — but not all the attention is positive.

Sporting a Victoria’s Secret lace-up top and a velvet skirt from House of CB, Adam Bell celebrated and danced the night away with friends. It wasn’t until Powdersville High School later shared an image of him that he began receiving cruel comments — and from parents, no less.

For Bell, a night that was so special quickly turned negative after local parents began criticizing his outfit.

ALSO SEE: Teenager comes under fire for ‘offensive’ prom dress

“My mom was shocked to see parents acting like this,” he told Teen Vogue. “The parents are picking on a kid, and it’s like a weird reversal. However, it’s so nice to see that this generation that’s coming up is accepting and changing things.”

Luckily, his friends and classmates are reminding him to pay no attention to the haters.

“It’s what’s on the inside that people love about you Adam! Congratulations you deserved it,” wrote one friend.

“The MOST deserving! You looked so good!” added another classmate.

He’s also getting comments from people he doesn’t even know.

ALSO SEE: Former NFLer slammed for gun-toting prom photo

“I grew up in Powdersville, South Carolina, and I cannot tell you enough how happy this makes me. You are so brave and beautiful! You are killing it in that dress,” wrote one person on Instagram.

“Your generation is going to save us all! Congratulations! I am so happy for you. #Hopeful,” added another.

Bell told Teen Vogue that he wasn’t worried about showing up to prom in a dress. He said he wears what he wants to school, so long as it fits within the dress code – and Powdersville High has been supportive of that.

“To the people in my class, seeing me in a dress is no big deal. I wear a dress to school randomly if I feel like dressing up or am just in the mood for it,” he said.

While Bell has seen his fair share of negativity since the social media announcement, he admits the positivity shines far brighter in his mind.

“Thank you so much to everyone that voted [for] me. I had absolutely no idea and I never expected this many people to not only accept me but embrace me. I love you all! My senior year has been the best and I’ve acquired some pretty great friends,” he wrote on Instagram.

“All the hate that is going on, and the news about me, has no comparison to the love I am receiving.”

Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA!
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.