Step aside kings and queens, it is time for gender-neutral royalty to have a chance up on stage.

Appalachian State University in North Carolina has issued changes to its homecoming court policies to reflect the views and identities of everyone on campus. They will be remove the titles of both king and queen and replace them with the gender-neutral term, royalty.  The university will select nine students who represent the campus with positive attitudes, encouraging personalities and overall great spirits, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.  The initiative is aimed to select the student who qualifies as the “best of the best” and Appalachian State believes they can open new doors for individuals who do not necessarily belong to either category.

The university is not the first to implement this change, however.

On Sept. 29, the University of Wisconsin-Stout announced that they will not be crowning a king or queen at their homecoming ceremonies.  They will select eight students to receive the Stout Ambassadors Spirit Award.  For the first time in 80 years, the ceremony is changing to incorporate the entire student body and base the winners on the most qualified students.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase high school in Maryland has also made an effort to include all students by allowing nominees to choose their own homecoming titles, depending on how the nominee would like to be represented. According to campusreform.com, President of the Student Government Association at Bethesda-Chevy Chase high school, Jacob Rains, was very understanding of the school’s changes.

“It is really not our job, especially with a gender-neutral and transgender population at B-CC, to tell people that boys have to be kings and girls have to be queens, Rains said. “Who are we to put people into those categories?”

Has Appalachian State changed its tradition? Or was this step necessary to ensure a secure homecoming ceremony in 2016?

In a state such as North Carolina, that has been under fire for its recent bathroom regulation bill, the policy change regarding homecoming was a huge step toward regaining public trust.  The state policy regarding transgender bathrooms directly impacts transgender persons, as well as people who identify with other genders.  In finding a way to include all persons at Appalachian State University, transgender students are able to feel comfortable applying for a seat in the homecoming court, a feat that has not necessarily been available or accessible for them in the past.

As more schools look to implement this homecoming policy, more students will have a say on their college and high school campuses.  Throughout the country, colleges are diversifying and changes are necessary in order to fully represent the beliefs, views and practices of the student body.

Appalachian State, along with other campuses who have sought to include their entire student body, can be considered the trailblazers of our time period and their decisions will be used to inspire other campuses around the nation.