All Black Grad Robes

At graduation and at the senior assembly this year, the audience will be looking at a sea of all black. The senior class has gotten rid of the teal robes usually worn by girls, and instead, all graduating seniors will be wearing black robes.

Aside from the fact that teal robes never look very official, as teal is a seemingly indefinable color (is it blue-green or green-blue?), the switch to all black robes is not an issue of fashion, but is a matter of gender equity and inclusion. In the past, females have worn teal. Males have worn black. So where do those students who do not identify with their anatomical gender, or those who are gender fluid, fit into this color scheme?

Connor McRobert, senior class president, sees the monochromatic robes as a way to answer this question. He emphasized that the all black robes would create “solidarity” among graduates. “I’ve always prided myself on the fact that Century allows students to be who they are,” McRobert said. “We want students to feel free to express who they are, and to feel welcome and important.”

However, this switch has elicited criticism from students. Senior Britnee Spelce-Will said, “This was not the right decision because students were not able to voice their opinion. The majority of people understand, but are unhappy."

This controversial decision was made by class officers Connor McRobert, Wendy Roman, and Stephanie Ignacio, along with Ms. Dansky, as a movement toward creating a more inclusive and equitable atmosphere. Whether students are aware of it or not, there are many transgender students, as well as students that are gender fluid, meaning they do not always identify with the same gender.

Lauren Halverson, the president of the Class of 2021 has said that she plans on bringing back the teal and black robes, but not on the basis of gender. “I think the safe and smart choice was made this year,” Halverson said. “But I want to bring back the black and teal robes because it represents Century and it’s tradition.” Halverson mentioned the idea of letting individuals choose their robe color, or by dividing up the colors by last name.

The concept of gender identity is multifaceted. Because of its complexity, gender is not something that can be reduced to black and teal, especially for those who are not yet ready to commit to a single gender or those who feel uncomfortable coming out to their family and peers.

“This is part of a larger movement,” explained McRobert. “I think this will raise awareness about the issue of gender identity and equality, which is something we need to talk about, and our students need to be educated about it.”

On graduation day, seniors should have the right to feel like they belong, to feel accomplished and proud. But if a transgender female is in the same color robe as all the other males, being told that they are male even when that is not how they identify, it is inevitable that they will be uncomfortable. And no student should be anything less than proud and ecstatic on graduation day. No student should have to side with a gender or make a decision that they are not ready to make, simply for the sake of a colored robe.