Senior girl at West Boca High, Taylor Adelman, has run for Homecoming king and won. This has completely changed the course of what is typically seen when we vote for our Homecoming Kings/Queens. While this may be seen as a victory to some, there have been many people skeptical of the validity of this win for Adelman. It leads us to ask ourselves: should we still consider the terms ‘king’ and ‘queen’?

The concept of having a Homecoming Court has been in effect ever since as early as the 1930’s. Started as a tradition in colleges in the US, it began to trickle down to the high-school level, eventually becoming an extremely well-known and respected tradition. It has been established to give students (specifically seniors) a friendly competition amongst their peers for the sought after titles of ‘king’ and ‘queen’.

Gender roles obviously present a constant issue within our society, especially in 2022. At this point in time, what really defines the terms ‘prince/princess’ and ‘king/queen’? Times are changing rapidly before our eyes. Things that have been previously unheard of, such as females running for the position of Homecoming King, are now being normalized and changing societal norms as we know them. 

In October of 2011, Patrick Henry High School in San Diego, California crowned the school’s first ever female homecoming king. This set the precedent for allowing the opposite gender to run for and win the opposing gender’s title. On September 16, 2022, we saw Adelman accomplish this same thing – now, reportedly making history in the state of Florida. 

After seeing this happen in multiple schools over the years, it has led many to believe that maybe these titles aren’t so important after all. 

In a recent poll sent out to West Boca students, many voiced the opinion that they were completely fine with the opposite gender winning the position of King and vice versa. Even with this opinion, about 72% of these 250 students still believe that the titles of ‘king’ and ‘queen’ should still be put into effect at Homecoming. It goes to show that these titles appear to be just for show.

Adelman believes that her win sent out an important message.

“I really hope people will be inspired to go for what they want and to not be afraid.” 

Even though there has been backlash over whether or not this win was deserved, the idea that people should be allowed to run for a position, no matter their gender or orientation, has prevailed. Adelman’s victory, as well as the others before her, have shown that these roles are not as strict as people had originally interpreted them to be, and that anyone can do what they set their mind to.