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HighSchool

No Kings or Queens: Texas High School Hosts Gender-Neutral Homecoming

"Because a king has to be male and a queen has to be female, it’s impossible for a gay couple to win."

Taylor Henderson

Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!

Read Full Bio

Taylor Henderson

cornbreadsays

October 03 2018 6:30 PM EST

May 31 2023 3:35 PM EST

Girlfriends Cecilia McBride and Story Dornsife were thrilled to be nominated for homecoming court by their Austin High School classmates. However, when McBride asked to be considered for Homecoming King so, if they won, the couple could walk together, the fairytale quickly came crashing down.

The high school staff informed McBride that both girls would both have to run for homecoming queen and would be paired with the boy named homecoming king.

"They said, ‘We don’t do two queens, we don’t do two kings, it has to be a king and a queen,’" McBride told KXAN. "Because a king has to be male and a queen has to be female, it’s impossible for a gay couple to win."

"I basically told them right away, this isn’t okay. I was almost in tears—I was furious."

McBride and Dornsife, along with another lesbian couple nominated for homecoming court, decided to talk to Principal Amy Taylor about making the tradition more inclusive—and she listened.

Forget kings, queens, princes, and princesses. The four students who get the most votes form the student body will now simply be the "Homecoming Royalty."

Austin's LGBTQ community is cheering the new policy. Kathryn Gonzalez, the operations and programs director for Out Youth, thinks it's an inclusive move for gay youth.