Bethesda-Chase High School creates genderless homecoming court, scraps ‘King’ and ‘Queen’ titles

A Maryland high school has decided to do away with “kings” and “queens” for its homecoming court in favor of something genderless: ’Homecoming Royalty.’

Bethesda-Chase High School’s Student Government Association voted 4 to 1 last week for a change that may result in two males, two females, or a traditional boy-girl match becoming “Homecoming Royalty.” Students will be honored Oct. 7 at the Montgomery County school.

“It shows that we’re a school that wants to include the whole student body and doesn’t want to be offensive in anyway,” student Jessica Zenner told a local CBS affiliate on Wednesday.

“I don’t know why people are making such a big deal about it,” added another student.

Jacob Rains, president of the Student Government Association, told The Washington Post on Tuesday that its change “provides an opportunity for all students to be involved in something that was exclusionary. It is really not our job, especially with a gender-neutral and transgender population at B-CC, to tell people that boys have to be kings and girls have to be queens. Who are we to put people into those categories?”

Critics questioned why four people would change a tradition for possibly two students.

“I’m not against like transgender or anything, it’s just kind of weird that they’d be changing everything for, I think there’s like two people who don’t identify as man or woman,” Patrick Kirlan told the station.

B-CC’s principal, Dr. Donna Jones, told the station that SGA’s vote was partially motivated by a transgender suicide that happened at the school six years ago. Student Aiden Rivera Schaeff, 17, reportedly ended his life over bullying.

“B-CC is an incredibly accepting, warm, and caring community and I am sure that students, staff and the surrounding community will embrace this change,” Mr. Rains said in a statement, the station reported. “At B-CC not every student identifies as male or female and it is our imperative to ensure that these students feel just as valued as every other student at the school. Our Homecoming Court is more than just a popularity contest. It is an opportunity for students to pick peers who they believe best represent the school’s values — regardless of their gender identity.”