Watch: U of Oklahoma Goes Gender Neutral with Homecoming Royalty
King and queen no more: Now homecoming royalty at the University of Oklahoma might be two princes or princesses, reports the Daily Mail.
What's more, they'll simply be referred to as "royalty," the newspaper says.
"Administrators at the Norman-based public university announced that the annual tradition of anointing a male and female winner during homecoming weekend will be done away with," the Mail writes. "Instead, a more inclusive 'gender-neutral' pairing will be chosen as homecoming 'royalty.' "
Local news station Fox 25 reports that school officials undertook the update in order to foster "greater equality on campus," and notes that the "decision comes as several other Big 12 universities are also dethroning the conventional homecoming monarchy."
"Under OU's new format students are first nominated by their on-campus organizations," the report says. "Then school faculty and staff select a group of 12 students who have shown outstanding service and leadership to be on the homecoming court. Their peers are then able to vote for two winners, regardless of gender."
Two men, Justin Norris and Reece Henry, were recently named royalty at the university, Fox 25 reported.
"Just being recognized not as filling a quota of 'we need to fit this equal number of males and females', but just these are people who have made a really great impact on campus and we want to celebrate them for that," Henry told the news station. "I feel like it's a really important and positive shift."
Norris said he felt "validated" and "loved" by the university, adding, "I'm sure there are so many queer students here on campus, white students, black students who have been able to look at this court and see themselves in it and just really maybe think in the future not just I can be on the homecoming court, but I can really do anything I set my mind to here at OU and people are going to support me for it."
To see the news report, follow this link.