Gender-Neutral Student Voted Homecoming Queen

Jessee Vasold, a transgender student, has been voted homecoming queen at the College of William and Mary.

Vasold, clad in a red shirt, black pants, and a small silver lip ring, took the field October 24 at halftime of the Williamsburg, Va., school's football game against James Madison University. According to the W&M student newspaper the Flat Hat, "Vasold identifies as gender-queer and prefers to be referred to with gender-neutral pronouns."

Students at the college, the second-oldest in the United States, nominated and elected Vasold, who will represent the class of 2011. Brian Whitson, a spokesman for the school, sent an e-mail to the Associated Press, stating, “William and Mary is a diverse and inclusive community, and student selections to this year's Homecoming Court reflect that.”