For the past six years, Olympia High School has used gender-neutral terms for homecoming royalty. There are no longer “kings” or “queens” like before, but royalty instead. Anybody can be nominated and fill the two spots for their grade, no matter what they identify as. OHS is one of the earliest schools that has chosen to implement this change.

Sophomore Gavin Cruz, who recently won his grade’s homecoming election, revealed what he thought on the subject. “I’m glad the school is going in the right direction,” he remarks. “What’s most important is that the tradition of nominating classmates still remains.”

Cruz isn’t the only one who feels this way. Kristin Costello, activities and ASB leadership advisor at OHS, also agrees on the importance of keeping old traditions while helping everyone feel included.

“When there are only two options {for royalty}, there are going to be students who don’t feel like they belong. Our focus this year especially has been to create a sense of belonging for students. We can maintain the tradition of homecoming court and the spirit of recognizing students who represent their peers without making it a gendered thing.”

When asked about who started this tradition, Costello recalls that while it started to be discussed in 2016, the 2017 Prom was the first gender-neutral court thanks to the 2016-2017 ASB class.

She also admits how the process hasn’t been easy. “We wrestled for a long time with what to call it. We called it ‘prom royalty’ at first, but then decided on ‘court,’ and finally, ‘royalty court.’ We are always learning new stuff while trying to be welcoming and open to all,” said Costello.

According to Costello, students at OHS have responded in a positive way. “They’ve been very accepting because of the community we live in and the school culture we’ve created. It’s definitely a nationwide trend and while we are early adopters, we’re not the first school to do this,” she comments.