Jessee Vasold ’11 made history at the College of William and Mary Wednesday when ze was announced as the school’s first transgender homecoming queen, representing the Class of 2011.
Vasold identifies as gender-queer and prefers to be referred to with gender neutral pronouns: “ze” in place of he or she and “zir” rather than him or her. Vasold has also created a Facebook account for a female identity, Kathy Middlesex.
Friends suggested that Vasold run for homecoming queen. Even though Vasold thought that there was a good chance at being elected, Vasold said the win was still surprising to hear.
“We figured it would be something different for the school to go through, something that hasn’t happened too often,” Vasold said. “I was kind of surprised that I won because I knew the other girls running. I know that they’re really friendly; they’re wonderful people, so I was unsure.”
This year marks the return of direct voting by students. Last year, there was no platform to host voting, so the homecoming kings and queens were chosen by class officers out of student-submitted nominations.
The alumni website was used this year to choose the homecoming court. The alumni office had no oversight over the nominations for the court, which was a purely student initiative.
“I thought it was much better done this year because students actually could vote for who they wanted instead of having five or six class officers select who they think should be the winner,” Junior Class President Mike Tsidulko said.
According to Tsidulko, there is no rule against men or women running for opposite roles. Students who made nominations were simply asked to describe how the candidate exemplified Tribe pride.
“In general, most descriptions were about what activities they were involved in on campus or spiritedness at sporting events or any other kind of campus activity,” Senior Class President Alyssa Wallace said.
Those students nominated with a description were put on the ballot.
“It basically came down to nominations,” Wallace said. “Jessee was nominated, Jessee’s peers voted and Jessee won. That’s really all there is to it.”
Around campus, the reaction has been positive.
“I’ve only had people congratulating me. I know that one of my friends was in a conversation with someone who didn’t think that it was fair that I was able to run, because I’m not female-bodied,” Vasold said. “But it generated a really good conversation, so they were able to talk about a lot of different things.”
For Vasold, the election of the College’s first transgender homecoming queen is a significant step forward for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community on campus.
“It’s definitely amazing that the students are in a really good position, in a really good spot on how they think about things,” Vasold said. “I think that it would be a good time to show student support on these issues.”
Vasold has played a significant role in the campus’s GLBT community.
Vasold is currently the Student Assembly Undersecretary of Diversity Initiatives for GLBT Affairs. Last year, Vasold served as co-president of the Lamba Alliance, the College’s GLBT advocacy group.
“I think students are really appreciative of just being able to have him at William and Mary,” Tsidulko said. “I think it’s a mark of how progressive our values are here … that’s certainly something that’s appreciated.”
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Thomas Jefferson was pretty
Thomas Jefferson was pretty tolerant of his slaves as well.
“It is only through
“It is only through forced examination of all our differences that we are able to make real progress in evolving into a more respectful and welcoming society.”
This is pure indoctrination. I mean, this could come right out of Animal Farm it’s so fundamentally flawed. Napoleon is having us build a “more respectful and welcoming society” and we should all just go right along, meanwhile homosexuals and minorities are more equal than some of us, through affirmative action.
The fact that there are people out there who think like this is truly terrifying. You honestly believe that our society is “evolving” and “progressing” while we exhibit patently obvious signs of national decline. Progressing toward what? A “more respectful and welcoming society”? When will we get there? When people like you say we are there? What if some of us don’t wish to “evolve” and “progress” like you? I’ve seen what happens to those people in history…and it’s not pretty.
One of the ideologies encompassed in National Socialism is the belief that mankind is naturally evolving into greater forms of being, and Hitler believed Aryans were the natural Ubermensch or “Superman.” The best form. Revolutionary ideologies are all the same in that regard: they know what will make our society “more respectful and welcoming.”
When Leftists tell you that we need to “change,” “progress,” or “evolve”, it means that we need to sacrifice everything that we are for watery fabrications and ideology. Let this person’s post be a warning of the illusory promises they make.
Jefferson abhorred
Jefferson abhorred intolerance, by the way, and this evolution of reference is away from a markedly intolerant society towards a more inclusive society. As for affirmative action TJ, consider it in the context of these words by the real Thomas Jefferson:
“All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.” “Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add ‘within the limits of the law,’ because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.”
Thomas Jefferson
Hence, for Jefferson, though government cannot create a right to liberty, it can indeed violate it. The limit of an individual’s rightful liberty is not what law says it is but is simply a matter of stopping short of prohibiting other individuals from having the same liberty. A proper government, for Jefferson, is one that not only prohibits individuals in society from infringing on the liberty of other individuals, but also restrains itself from diminishing individual liberty.
“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”
Thomas Jefferson
and for good measure
“Every generation needs a new revolution.”
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson owned
Thomas Jefferson owned slaves.
He was not tolerant.
Learn history.
Wow. TJ is angry.
Wow. TJ is angry.
Last year my son James,
Last year my son James, roomed with Jesse at W&M. We were proud of our son for the respectful, sensitive language he used when describing his roomate’s gender orientation and life style choices to us. After hearing this latest news about Jessee as Tribe Homecoming Queen, I am equally proud of Jesse for his courage demonstrated in embracing his nonconformity in such a public manner. It is only through forced examination of all our differences that we are able to make real progress in evolving into a more respectful and welcoming society. The warmly endorsing response from the majority of W&M students and the school administration gives me hope that this generation of college students is headed in the right direction. Please read a wonderful article written by Michael Paul Williams of the Richmond Times Dispatch for his welcome insight. http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/columnists_news/article/MIKE291_20091028-235409/302314/
The ironic part of this 230
The ironic part of this 230 comment article is that I would guess that no more than 230 people actually heard about who the homecoming queen was for the Junior Class before the Flat Hat published the article. In fact, a common misunderstanding in these message boards is that Jesse was the only homecoming queen. There were three other women honored as well.
As a student I can say that I was very happy to see Jesse accept the award. It was a completely average ceremony that, honestly, the students care very little about. The homecoming court may have been important in the lives of students 50 years ago, but I can assure you that this “time honored tradition” is not a sacred institution at the college. I am glad that Jesse is treated just like anyone else here at the college and I would encourage others to open their minds to people who are different than them.
I am a bit amused by both
I am a bit amused by both the uniqueness of W&Ms latest “Homecoming Queen” as well as the various comments from students and alumni to this tradition-changing event at William & Mary, a uniquely traditional college. However, a little perspexctive is in order, and one that hopefully reflects a little more maturity on the issue than that which has laready been vented. Its clear that our new “Queen” has used his/her “capture” of the traditional Homecoming event to rather selfishly promote his/her rather narrow social cause. Dont get me wrong. There is a real place for the transgendered folk in our broad social coalition of man. But do we really have to tolerate the invasion of all of our time-honored traditions simply to justify the unusual social identity and abnormal behavior of the few transgendered citizens among us? Lets be clear, you are welcome in our societal family. You are different, if somewhat flamboyant and colorful. But we respect your rights as human beings to your views and even your non-conformist behavior. But that said, why do you have to childishly have to trample on the traditions respected by the “majority” just to make your selfishly pathetic points. Try channeling your protests through more acceptable channels. Run for office, start a political party, or some other more acceptable form of social statement. By lashing out at the honored traditions so loved and respected by the majority, not only do you prove your puerile bahavior, but you also jeopardize the broad and increasing support that the “majority” bestow on your cross-gendered group and their own favorite causes (e.g. the Fight Against Aids, etc.) While you do yourself a great disservicwe by “spitting” on our parade, maybe we should reciprocate by denying you legitimacy, reserving our support for your “right tio choose”, or even taking back last years contribution to the various Aids campaigns around the country and the world. How would you feel about that? Next time you want to display your disrespect for the “majority” and its traditions, try thinking about the “Law of Unintended Consequences” and how it might affect the things and causes you treasure in your world. No, I don t “hate” you for it (like you seem to “hate” the tolerance of the “majority”). I simply disrespect you for it, and that may be far worse for your “cause” that hating you.
I’m an alumnus of W&M
I’m an alumnus of W&M (1980) and would love to see this issue discussed further on a website I launched about three weeks ago – www.streetrebuttal.com – which happens to be featuring a question this week “Why do you feel people oppose same-sex marriage?”.
Here’s a short vid (81 seconds) of the highlights from the previous week: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DhUwaMwrxE
The site asks a weekly question of national interest, and responses are solely in the form of video uploads of 60 seconds or less. Users then rate the videos, comments, and otherwise see where a consensus lies.
I tried briefly to reach W&M students through the professors, but haven’t had much luck yet. Would love to see some of you on the site!
homecoming is about
homecoming is about welcoming the alumni home for a weekend. the event is sponsored by the school and the student body. now some students have hijacked the event to make it all about their diversity and elect a queen who is genetically a man and who is not a queen by definition (see the name of the school if confused).the admin has allowed this so they must approve how the alumni were welcomed home. thanks for the slap Pres.
typical youthful selfishness — to make the event all about them and not the alumni it was meant to be for. Your queen was nominated and placed for election by service qualification. the service rendered by the man were to the GLBT minority. can’t find anyone who cares for the entire school? That is what the school has come to….. limited self interest.
all of you W&M graduates
all of you W&M graduates and others that have commented on how wonderful this is are only interested in destroying tradition. We all know full well that the in the beginning the intent was for a queen of the female chromosome pattern. It has nothing to do with hate but tradition. Lack of respect for tradition will leave you anchorless when you need it most. And to an administration that thinks it is progressive to allow this poke in the eye to tradition, I hope you can get along with less alumni contributions from your older more financially secure bequethors. The admin could have avoided this by making the chromosome rule but apparently they wish to go the route of the previous admin that desecrated the Wrenn Chapel and got fired. Your not progressive but have traded another tradition for a joke.
I worry about the
I worry about the prejudices of our frats.
Why can’t they give one of these guys a bid?
There should be enough paddling to go around.
WTF? What you morons
WTF? What you morons don’t realize is that the joke is on the bleeding hearts. This is the equivalent of electing the fat girl to humiliate her. HAVE YOU SEEN THE PICTURES!?!?!?!?!?!?!? IT is not a classic (or otherwise) beauty. Go hold hands and sing Peter, Paul, and Mary.
Actually, ze is beautiful.
Actually, ze is beautiful. You and your words are ugly.
get raged
get raged
U mad bro?
U mad bro?
Mr. Tsidulko, I think
Mr. Tsidulko, I think it’s a mark of how regressive your values are.
I plead confusion. How can
I plead confusion. How can a person who claims no sexual identity be given the title of Queen (Jesse prefers “ze” instead of “he” or “she”)? It seems that under homecoming rules, men or women can be nominated for either King or Queen. As such, why even have the title of King or Queen? Why not instead have a an amorphous, asexual gathering of people with no gender roles. We could play pallid music by Philip Glass and generally ensure that nobody would be offended. Except, of course, for the majority.
How like a turtle the sun
How like a turtle the sun is.
proud
proud alum
Congratulations, Jessee! I’m glad to see open-mindedness triumphing over prejudice. Way to go, W&M!
i should know after 8 years
i should know after 8 years of asking this question that i’m not gonna get an intelligent answer to this question, but how the crap is this making anyone’s life any worse? i saw a comment about william and mary being “womb-like” for allowing this kind of stuff, but i think “womb-like” applies much more to any environment that simply chooses to ignore, or worse, excommunicate, members of its community.
i consider jessee a friend of mine, ze used to come to a lot of parties at my house, and i guarantee you jessee is a much better example of humanity than the kinds of william and mary students i can picture posting the derrogatory comments on here.
congratulations jessee!
Wow!! How things have
Wow!! How things have changed. If you had asked me when I was senior if I thought something like this was possible, I would have laughed and then expressed my frustration at having attended a conservative school. I am very proud that today’s students elected Vasold as Homecoming Queen.
This + New Campus + Not
This + New Campus + Not Sucking at Football = Wish I was going there now rather than 9 years ago. Good job W&M
Geez Louise, commenters!
Geez Louise, commenters! Homecoming court isn’t really a big deal here. I highly doubt anybody feels “robbed” by Jessee’s win. Nominating/voting for zir was a pretty cute, feel-good, tongue in cheek gesture. I don’t think the title itself is nearly as significant in terms of progressive strides as the fact that William and Mary now has the sort of social and academic environment in which a genderqueer student can be totally open about zir identity and still be an accepted and active part of our community. Sweet! And good on the students for turning a generally pointless/ignored contest into a clever illumination of these shifting mores. Congrats, Jessee! And congrats, LAMBDA et al, for helping make our campus the kind of place where this is cool, but no biggie.
As a current student, I am
As a current student, I am disappointed. This is not the example we should be providing to the nation. Hopefully, this will be the last time a transexual is elected by the student body.
I am a proud alumnus of the
I am a proud alumnus of the College (1977), and I am thrilled to see progressive values reigning supreme at William and Mary. I congratulate the student body for electing a Homecoming Queen who represents a change in thinking about gender roles in our country. What a proud day for progress at William and Mary
::Insert comment proving
::Insert comment proving how very wrong you are here::
I cannot believe you would
I cannot believe you would be disappointed by something so incredible. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to be a transgendered individual? To feel like you don’t fit in your body? This is a fantastic step forward in society and I am thrilled by this occurrence. You should be proud that something so progressive could take place at your school—there is an extreme need for a breakdown in the strict gender binary that is suffocating our society.
As a 2000 graduate, I’m
As a 2000 graduate, I’m very pleased and warmed by the progressive strides/acceptance at our school. I couldn’t be more proud of the student body.
I graduated from WM in
I graduated from WM in 2005, and today I feel very proud of my alma mater. Many thanks to all the students who voted for Vasold and, in so doing, made a statement that WM is a warm and accepting community.
I am concerned, however, about the amount of hate speech in the comments here; I don’t believe that the majority of it is coming from current WM students, or even alums. I feel uncomfortable with the idea that persons outside of the WM community are permitted to make the Flat Hat a forum for hate speech. I believe that the Flat Hat has the freedom to elect what it wishes to publish, and I wish that comments would be moderated such that violent and disturbing comments were removed. In other words, I don’t believe that persons engaging in hate speech have a “right” to publish their thoughts in the college newspaper, and I think the Flat Hat should take responsibility for what is being disseminated in their forum. Suggesting that persons who are non-heteronormative should kill themselves or be stoned is completely unacceptable and should not be tolerated; if there are persons who want to say these things, let them publish such vicious language in their own venues. We don’t have to take the responsibility for publishing their hate.
You are so correct! Hate
You are so correct! Hate speech is not protected under the constitution. Each of the comments that go to that length should be rejected with a warning: hate speech is a punishable crime. Thanks for your words of support for this wonderful student – and let’s all remember that’s what we are talking about. A warm, intelligent and caring individual, not a label.
Unfortunately, hate speech
Unfortunately, hate speech is protected by the constitution unless it specifically is designed to inspire illegal or violent acts. While I agree that all of the hate speech that has been used on this forum is completely wrong, there are a number of legal precedents that can be pointed to that states that unless hate speech is designed to incite illegal activities, it is protected.
Thank you – that was the
Thank you – that was the point I was making. The previous gentlemen makes the point that posts that contain violence are hate speech and shouldn’t be allowed – violent hate speech is not protected under the constitution. You can hold up a sign that represents your opinion but you can’t threaten someone’s life in the process. I guess we need two terms – hate speech as free speech and hate speech as a violent act.
Hate speech is absolutely
Hate speech is absolutely protected by the Constitution, but that doesn’t mean that anyone is required to listen to it or provide a forum for it. The editors of The Flat Hat are entitled to edit both the print version and the online version to enhance the quality of communication. Moronic and hateful comments, or endless streams of “Me too”, don’t contribute. Noticing that, and removing extraneous or destructive material, is part of their job. This does not conflict with the posters’ right to make moronic hate-filled comments in the least.
Van
Problem is that some
Problem is that some willing to put in the time and the expense could bring about a costly legal battle over either the censorship of what they have written or the refusal to allow them to have their say. They may not win the case, but they could cause trouble to a point where the safest and most prudent option is to allow them this as a forum, even if their speech is something I would consider to be highly dispicable.
Ok . . . I have been pretty
Ok . . . I have been pretty actively arguing against some of what people are saying on here.
That being said, I also have to disagree that they should be banned from saying it. I’m not going to go into my usual diatribe about free speech, etc. because then I’ll be typing all night.
The part I do agree on is anything that has been typed suggesting that people should kill themselves or be stoned, as that can be considered an incitement toward violence/illegal activity and thus does not fall under the umbrella of federally protected speech. Blocking any hate speech, however, would leave the college open to potential law suits for violating the first amendment. We might not agree with it, we might think they are ignorant and prejudice to say what they are saying . . . but we also need to accept that they have the right to say what they want to say.
I’ve read stories of
I’ve read stories of transgendered individuals who changed their name to an opposite sex variation of their birth name (e.g. Juan to Juanita or Patrick to Patricia). It is great that surgeries are available to complete these transformations.
My sister Maria has Body Integrity Identity Disorder. She felt she was a one-legged person born in a two-legged person’s body. After years of searching, we found a doctor willing to perform the surgery.
She changed her name to Eileen.
that’s not funny. and
that’s not funny. and you’re an a-hole.
I beg to differ. . . I
I beg to differ. . . I think it’s VERY funny!!!!
http://www.biid.org/ It’s
http://www.biid.org/
It’s actually a real disorder, whereby people feel a persistent, lifelong need to amputate one of their limbs.
Yes, it’s a real disorder
Yes, it’s a real disorder . . . but the original poster was clearly using it to make a dumb joke.
I am so proud of my alma
I am so proud of my alma mater!
We’ve made a strong statement to both society and Jesse as an individual.
We have surpassed tolerance. Now, we CELEBRATE and EMBRACE diversity!
And we love Jessee!
(just as a side note, the comment board wouldn’t let me write facebook as my homepage. major blow to my individuality as an individual who thinks that would have been funny)
aberrance, aberrancy,
aberrance, aberrancy, aberration, deviance
“a state or condition markedly different from the norm”What parallel universe do you clowns live in? When you emerge from the womb-like environment of W&M you will face a world where this farcical acceptance of DEVIANT twisted behaviour is not only scoffed at but is actively suppressed.
I assume this was written
I assume this was written by someone who has never lived outside the south. There are many parts of the country where transgendered people are making progress toward equality….and many parts of the world, as well.
And this is the younger
And this is the younger generation, as every younger generation before them has done, realizing that the “norm” needs to change. What is deviant today is not neccessarily what is deviant tomorrow, and this is all part of the dawning awareness that there is more to gender identity than has been accepted as the norm in the past.
OK, junior just cling to
OK, junior just cling to your delusions. You are mistaking what may be considered “normal” at the freak show petri dish W&M has become with what is considered normal in the real world by the overwhelmingly vast proportion of the world’s population. Such opinions are visceral as they are based on one of the strongest of the remaining human survival instincts – the need to reproduce. Until evolution discards this primal impulse, wackjobs like “zir” (HAHAHAHAH) and you for that matter will be (rightfully) marginalized and scorned.
It’s funny how much you
It’s funny how much you sounded like Himmler just then.
Of course, your “morality” is just as self-serving as his.
Ich bin Spartakus Bauern!
Ich bin Spartakus Bauern!
twisted analogy… Jews did not choose to be Jews, many of them were non-practicing and were lumped in and killed for it by a twisted deviant autocracy… hey wait a minute that describes the American left perfectly. Typical retort of knuckleheads like you resorting to name calling rather than actually considering and debating the issues.
The autocracy insisted that
The autocracy insisted that they, as the majority, were “normal,” better than normal even, and they were just ridding the world of the less worthy deviants. Since their identity was somehow “right,” other identities were “wrong.” And some jewish children could pass for Aryan and were thus assimilated.
You aren’t suggesting people different from you should change, are you? That sounds a little… err….
Please explain your comment
Please explain your comment regarding the twisted deviant autocracy of the American Left lumping and killing people . . . I’d like to know more about your twisted analogy.
I really don’t want to post all this again, so please seek out my response to your “Jews did not choose to be Jews” comment elsewhere . . . the summation of it is that there is a growing amount of scientific research that indicates gender identity is as much a fact of biology as is physical gender and many other factors, and that one’s gender identity and physical gender are not neccessarally the same.