Homecoming king and queen the next casualty of the woke movement

When I saw the story of White Bear Lake schools changing their homecoming king and queen into a “royalty court” because a student was traumatically misgendered last year, I figured it was a unique, albeit silly episode in the war on truth. But then a second high school, Farmington, joined the movement against the tradition of homecoming king and queen making it a trend. A disturbing trend.

On the one hand, it’s hard to get too excited about how a high school celebrates homecoming week. Hopefully some math and reading are getting taught during a week filled with spirit wear, pajama day, pep rallies and of course the big football game and dance on the weekend. Fun is still allowed in high school. And so is tradition. Unless that tradition goes against the current thinking in Minnesota schools that truth is personal, gender is fluid and sacrificing the majority to not offend the minority is the norm.

In an email to a parent, White Bear Lake high school principal Don Bosch explained why the homecoming committee moved “towards the language of a royalty court.”

Being informed by a traumatic misgendering of a student during last year’s Homecoming coronation preparations, this year’s Homecoming committee and staff advisors committed themselves to greater inclusivity while also protecting the core of a rich, beloved high school tradition.

No, Mr. Bosch, you did not protect the core of this rich high school tradition. You obliterated it. White Bear did not “move towards the language of a royalty court,” they ended the tradition of nominating and voting for a homecoming king and homecoming queen. Principal Bosch continues in his email explanation:

Because the traditional method of selecting royalty was gender dependent, that process was no longer acceptable.

In Farmington, an email from Assistant Principal Laura Wagner to fellow staff members talks about dealing with “keyboard warriors” as they switch from homecoming king and queen to royalty. Her advice to colleagues:

This would be a great time to use your straight white privilege to reassure and support students and staff in doing what they believe is right for our school community.

What’s right for the community according to this school administrator is to destroy the tradition of homecoming king and queen in favor of a genderless royalty court. And if you disagree, it’s because of your straight white privilege. By the way, what does being white have to do with it?  

The message in White Bear Lake and Farmington is that gender is fluid, boys can be girls, girls can be boys and if you get it wrong, it’s a “traumatic misgendering.”

Truth is the only thing suffering from trauma in White Bear Lake and Farmington.