Source: Gabriel Olsen / Getty
As participants make the final preparations 130th Rose Parade, many are looking forward to seeing the iconic show as well as the football game between Ohio State and Washington.
But one woman will be making history this year as the Rose Bowl Queen: meet Louise Deser Siskel, the first Jewish LGBTQ+ queen, who also happens to be the first queen who wears glasses.
The Pasadena Star-News reports that Siskel is a senior at Sequoyah High School, a private school in Pasadena. While she did not disclose specifically where she identifies within the spectrum, Siskel explained that it was important to her to bring her entire self to the table during the interview.
“What was important to me throughout the interview process [for the selection of the queen] was that I was completely transparent about who I was, about the things that I value, and about the things that I advocate for,” Siskel told the Star-News.
“I entered [the competition] on sort of a whim, but as I continued to return for the interview rounds, and throughout the whole process, I realized the value of the Tournament of Roses, and the role it plays in our community,” she said. “Each year, the [Tournament] selects seven young women [for the Royal Court] and gives them a real voice; for that, I feel very thankful.”
As for Siskel’s next plans after the Rose Bowl parade? She lists The University of Chicago as her first choice for school, followed by Yale and Johns Hopkins. She wants to become a surgeon, as she is very interested in science and has done research on breast cancer and space exploration.
You can learn more about Siskel in the video down below shared by Pasadena Now.
