I want to commend Hopkinton High School for moving to implement non-gendered graduation robes for this year’s graduating class.
As someone who identifies as male, I graduated in the green robes required of me over a decade ago and I did not think twice about how a construct as seemingly innocuous as the color of a robe could impose on another’s ability to present themselves on their own terms. However, society has evolved for the better in this regard over the past decade and we must evolve with it.
I am thrilled to be a member of a community where educators, parents and, most importantly, students recognize that considerations of identity are critical to creating a welcoming community and deserve to be advocated for. These decisions are obviously not immune to criticism, and it is important for all of us to listen to, understand and raise up the voices that are not like our own in order to have schools and, more broadly, a community that reflect ideals of acceptance and openness.
I applaud everyone who promoted, lobbied for and worked to enact this new policy.
LUKE SIMON
Hopkinton