New Mexico’s largest high school chooses gender-neutral prom royalty

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico’s largest high school is eliminating kings and queens at its prom and homecoming events. Instead, students celebrated as royalty will have gender-neutral titles.

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Atrisco Heritage Academy High School in Albuquerque adopted the gender-neutral format, KRQE reported. Instead of crowning a king, queen and court, the top 20 people selected by the senior class will be part of the prom and homecoming courts, the television station reported.

“We believe this change will reflect and celebrate the diversity that is present within our student body and community,” Victoria Flores, the school’s Student Council sergeant-at-arms, told KRQE.

After the top 20 people are selected, students will vote online. The two top-getters -- regardless of gender -- will be named Royalty, according to KRQE.

The next two highest vote-getters will be called the First High Court, and the next two will be referred to as the Second High Court, the television station reported.

“The question that comes up the most is, ‘Well, what if two boys win?” activities director Jessica Martinez told KRQE. “OK, then two boys win.”

Crowns for the Royalty winners will also be gender-neutral, and the traditional photo of the two winners will be scrapped, the television station reported. Winners will be recognized individually.

“The majority of the questions and the majority of the uncertainty came from older people,” Martinez told KRQE. “When we talked to the kids, the kids were like, ‘Yeah, why haven’t we been doing this?’”

Principal Irene Cisneros said she is proud of her students.

“To really be concerned and caring for the entire student body here, I just thought that was really impressive,” Cisneros told KRQE.

Students are voting for Royalty this week, and the winners will be crowned next week, the television station reported.

Cox Media Group