Albany made history this spring as its first nonbinary Tulip Queen, Sam Mills, was crowned.

"My grandmother's favorite flowers were yellow tulips," said Mills. "She passed away May of 2020. I would call her my Tulip Queen. 2022, on the anniversary of her passing, I was crowned Tulip Queen."

For Mills, that’s just the first layer of meaning the position holds. As the first non-binary person in the position, they are on a mission to help kids who are LGBTQIA+ see themselves represented in their community.

What You Need To Know

  • Sam Mills is the first nonbinary person crowned Tulip Queen in Albany

  • They plan to educate others and encourage acceptance

  • Mills hopes to inspire other young people who are LGBTQIA+

"Being the Tulip Queen, to me, it means I have an opportunity to make some waves and be a voice," they said.

Mills remembers feeling unsupported and underrepresented by society growing up. With support of her mother and the rest of their family, they came out as nonbinary at age 21.

Mills said moving to Albany for college led them to find an accepting community and, for the first time, live authentically.

"It's been taboo or scary to talk about in the past, but we're in 2022," said Mills. "We're in 2022 and it's time that we break down those walls. We are fearless and we are unapologetically ourselves."

Backlash online over their win has been discouraging and hurtful, but Mills wants to shift the focus. In addition to educating others in hopes of more acceptance, Mills wants to show young people who are LGBTQIA+ everything they can be.

"I want to be their Todrick Hall," Mills said of the musician and choreographer. "I want to be the person that these kids can see locally and be like 'oh, it is OK. There is somebody like me.' Because I never got to see somebody like me."

When Mills isn't donning the crown, they keep busy with Albany comedy. They book and produce local comedy shows and a weekly open mic. Mills even began performing stand-up just before the pandemic.

"I think bringing laughter and joy into the world is like one of the coolest things you can do, and I do think that having this title and this honor and this opportunity is part of my life purpose," said Mills. “We're breaking tradition. We already have.

"We're changing things for the better, and I think it's important after 74 years to have a little bit of shaking and moving," Mills said.