In an amazing move for transgender and gender non-conforming youth, a high school in southern Oregon has eliminated the traditional roles of "king" and "queen" on its homecoming court.
Ashland High School, located in Ashland, Oregon, will reportedly replace the gendered roles of Homecoming King and Queen with a "Grizzly Court" in which students vote on three different seniors to be recognized for their accomplishments. The move has reportedly been met with little backlash, save some negative opinions expressed on social media.
"It used to be that anyone who was gender neutral or transgender was kind of left in this limbo… and they couldn't identify," student body co-president Brielle Preskenis told the Mail Tribune. "So now it's open to everyone. Our ultimate goal is more inclusion, but it's also to change the discussion from being about gender to also being about making a positive impact on Ashland High School."
The implementation of the "Grizzly Court" replaces the tradition of crowning a Homecoming King and Queen that has been in place since the 1950s.
The move follows an incredible year of transgender visibility within high school homecoming courts, with a number of transgender individuals being voted both homecoming king and queen throughout the country.
Check out the video above to hear Ashland High School students discussing the need for this change.
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