The rainbow-colored lights are strobing across the vast dance floor, filled with sparkling dresses of all colors at Prom. The DJ is blasting the top songs and the crowd is all swaying to the beat. Later in the evening, the music dies, and it’s time for the most coveted part of the evening: the crowning of the king and queen. As the announcer comes out on the stage, they reveal the sparkling, shimmering headpieces: except it’s two crowns and not a crown and a tiara.
This change in tradition would shock many, just as it did here in Huntley. This past Homecoming Court election, administrators put in place a gender-neutral court rule that was decided after the turnout of 2023’s Prom royalty. In an effort to be more inclusive for all genders and voices, Huntley High School decided to leave the court up to the voters: whichever two individuals – whatever gender – in each grade who had the most votes would be the two be placed on the court.
Huntley is not the first to change this tradition, however. With the recent emphasis placed on gender identity and pronouns, many high schools across the country are implementing this new gender-neutral rule.
Despite this change being a significant adjustment to the rule that’s been around since the 1950s, many students and staffers are welcoming it with open arms.
“I’m not surprised [with the new rule] as it is just an evolving thing,” senior Taylor Casey said.
Casey was one of the members selected to be on the senior Homecoming court. Joined by two boys from the Junior Class and two girls from the Freshman Class in the court activities, such as the parade and Homecoming football game, she was excited to see more inclusivity.
“The change properly reflects modern values as society is changing with typical gender stereotypes,” Casey said. “It is inevitable, and should just be normalized.”
This new rule, however, was implemented for its first time this past court election, and many students did not even realize it, such as Amelia Al-Shayeb. A nominee from the Junior Class, she reached the last round of voting and felt that she might be able to make it onto the court.
“I have never won anything like this before,” Al-Shayeb said. “[But] I was disappointed because I had no idea they would not pick a girl. I did not know about the gender-neutral rule, [and] it was unclear in the emails we received while voting was happening.”
While the fact that administrators failed to inform the student body of this change upset some students, some also believe the gender-neutral court wasn’t the best idea.
“While I do believe this change could be more inclusive, I do not think it was the right way to support modern values,” Al-Shayeb said.
Some schools have kept their traditional king and queen voting spots, but just added a Prom Sovereign title, specifically reserved for students who feel their gender does not match male or female.
Regardless, however, administrators felt that this change went over smoothly, like Rebecca Davison, the Homecoming court voting leader and one of four advisors for Student Council.
“I was nervous when we did have two females for the freshman and two males for the juniors, but those particular students were cool with it,” Davison said.
And the student body was too, for they were the ones who chose the court representatives.
“The intent that the school is moving toward [is that] the gender-neutral process will repeat for Prom and for the foreseeable future,” Davison said. “[And I am] hopeful that the student body as a whole will be welcoming.”
