Stony Brook University in New York is replacing the titles homecoming “king” and “queen” with”‘royals” in the name of inclusivity.
The homecoming court has used the traditional titles since 1984, according to Fox News.
Prior to the decision, Rick Gatteau, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, said the school implemented a policy that allowed the court to “choose the formal wear and regalia they most identify with and choose the gender they most closely identify with.”
“So even more people get to have the honor of being royalty and showing that we support the cause of being inclusive,” an SBU student told WABC-TV.
This Saturday, three students will be chosen from a group of ten finalists and given the “royals” title; they will be able to choose if they want to wear a crown or tiara.
Allilsa Fernandez, a nominee who identifies as nonbinary, told NEWS12 the new policy is “a dream come true.”
“It doesn’t take away anything or any opportunities from the existing population,” fellow nominee RJ Samodal said to WABC-TV. “It just presses on new opportunities and allows the student body to express themselves however they see fit.”
“I feel like the fight for gender inclusivity for making people feel more included starts in our own hometowns,” Stony Brook student, Nicole Olakkengil, said.
Several other universities have dropped the traditional titles, including the University of Minnesota, San Diego State University, Penn State University, Purdue University, Northwestern University, and the University of Iowa.
In a statement to The Daily Wire, Fuad Faruque, a graduate student at Stony Brook, said he disagreed with the new policy.
“I think that the University deciding to get rid of an old tradition to appease 0.6% of the US population is ridiculous,” Faruque said. “If they’re going to get rid of these titles, they may as well get rid of the archaic voting process to choose the winners and let everyone who enters get a title. Why do they have to suck the life out of everything and turn it into sterile mundanity?”