Two young women have been voted 'queen and queen' at the Whangarei Girls' High School ball.

A same-sex "queen and queen" have been crowned at a high school ball in Northland.

It's a move that's being met with delight by the nationwide organisation for queer and questioning young people, Rainbow Youth.

The young women were elected by fellow Whangarei Girls' High School students at their 'Golden Twenties'-themed ball last week.

Rainbow Youth communications and operations manager Toni Duder said she believed it was a first for the Northland region.

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"It's cool to see young people stepping up and acknowledging ​that ​same-sex partners have equal rights to attend the ball just like any other couple," she said.

"The students were elected, acknowledged and supported by their peers who are accepting of sexual diversity."

Duder, 24, said she had a very different experience growing up in Dargaville.

"I had no information, no visibility, no knowledge about any sort of sexuality or gender diversity, except that it was a bad thing.

"There was nothing like 'you can be a normal human being and have a job and have a partner and function in the world'."

The move showed young people were "forward thinking" - but she stressed they need support from adults to affect change in their communities.

She cited examples Rainbow Youth had heard of other schools making students sign disclosure forms before school balls.

"If they want to bring a same-sex partner, they have to sign a form saying they're a lesbian," Duder said.

​Whangarei Girls' High School principal Anne Cooper declined to comment.