On Sept. 27, one of our fellow seniors accepted the title of Homecoming Royalty. Unlike in the past, “Royalty” is gender-neutral, a sign that a new era has begun on campus and in our generation. We, the editorial board of The Scroll, support Brandon Allen and his winning of this title.

We believe the voting process was fair from the viewpoint of equal opportunity. Never did White Station have a title for Homecoming King but only for Homecoming Queen. Turning down males who truly want to run— who are willing enough to talk to Principal Holland about it— is a double standard. Now that the title has become gender-neutral, Allen running and winning is justifiable. This action is simply the embodiment of equality among gender. 

The voting process itself was also fair: each senior was given the names of the top five nominees and wrote down the name of the candidate they wanted to win on a ballot. It was not a political agenda created by administration, by students, nor by Allen himself. In fact, no member of this board is surprised by his winning. To us, it is simply Allen being his social, unconventional self. We are proud of the diversity and acceptance found at White Station and hope that this culture can continue to flourish. 

We support the female nominees who ran fairly and responded kindly, and we understand if they feel like an opportunity was taken from them. Because this was the first year having a gender-neutral homecoming title, not all the standards and procedures of the running are completely clear yet. Hopefully, this becomes smoother in the years to come. 

We support those who accept Allen’s winning, as well as those who do not. However, we do not support the malicious comments found on social media. This behavior sets us back when we are only seeking to move forward.