Northwestern's Gender Neutral -- Possibly Hermaphroditic -- Barrister 'Rulers'

A few months back, the Student Bar Association at Northwestern University School of Law got its panties in a bunch over inappropriate language and the “unthinking use of stereotypes.” Saying that you were “raped” by an exam, for example, was offensive to some on campus, said the SBA. (They preferred that Northwestern students engage only in consensual test-taking.)
At the time, we asked:

Is there an epidemic of vulgarity at Northwestern that the SBA is desperately trying to stop?

Apparently so. The school is gearing up for its Barristers’ Ball, and students are offended by language all over again.
The vulgar words this time?


“King” and “queen.”
An email went out announcing tickets going on sale and revealing the nominees for king and queen. Among the five nominees for king was one female 3L, and among the five nominees for queen was one male 2L. Oh those quirky Northwestern kids, turning gender expectations on their head!
The Ball organizers specified that the prospective female king and male queen “have pledged to wear the dress appropriate for their elected position.”
That’s when the PC police sirens started going off. Here’s the list-serv exchange — subject line: [BARRISTER’S BALL] King and Queen Nominees!!! — with real names replaced by pseudonyms:

I’m as excited as anyone to see MALE QUEEN WILDCAT in a dress (and FEMALE KING WILDCAT in a tux, for that matter – RAWR), but why do we feel the need to assign gender-normative “appropriate dress” requirements to the positions of King and Queen? If a Queen wants to wear a suit and a King wants to wear a dress, or if either of them wants to wear footie pajamas or saran wrap or a t-shirt and jeans, who are we to tell them they should not?
— ANTI-GENDER-NORMATIVE WILDCAT


We don’t know if anybody told them they should not. All we know is they pledged to, which they may have done voluntarily.
+1 on being excited to see MALE QUEEN WILDCAT in a dress.
— LITERAL WILDCAT


+5 on being excited to see FEMALE KING WILDCAT in saran wrap.
— LASCIVIOUS WILDCAT


If they didn’t we wouldn’t know who was the King and who was the Queen.
— COMMON SENSE WILDCAT


LITERAL WILDCAT, I don’t think ANTI-GENDER-NORMATIVE WILDCAT was claiming that someone told them they must wear a specific outfit. The issue was the e-mail referring to what is “appropriate” dress for the King or Queen position.
— HELPFUL WILDCAT


But it was presented as a “requirement,” which it doesn’t appear to be. As for the issue of what is “appropriate,” it seems contradictory to have a formal event without some expectation of formality.
— LITERAL WILDCAT


COMMON SENSE WILDCAT, what does distinguishing b/w King and Queen by gendering their dress accomplish? Doesn’t it just help people sleep at night by reinforcing a gender binary so their own gender identities aren’t threatened? As long as what the royals wear is formal, as LITERAL WILDCAT points out (so I guess I have to nix the saran wrap comment), we have no right to say that they should wear something that helps US put them into more convenient categories.
— ANTI-GENDER-NORMATIVE WILDCAT


Well how would we know someone is a police officer if he doesn’t wear a uniform or have a badge?
Similarly, how would I know FEMALE KING WILDCAT is the King if she’s dressed like the Queen?
— COMMON SENSE WILDCAT


The saran wrap comment was a little ray of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy day; can we please not nix it?
— HORNY WILDCAT


Because MALE QUEEN WILDCAT will be wearing the tiara?
— PRO-TIARA WILDCAT


Are you saying you wouldn’t know your wife was a woman if she didn’t wear a skirt?
— ANTI-GENDER-NORMATIVE WILDCAT


SPAM. Annoying debates.
— I-WISH-I-WENT-TO-CHICAGO WILDCAT


Optimal (non-gendered) solution?

— I-KNOW-I-SHOULD-LET-THIS-THREAD-DIE-BUT-I-SEE-OPPORTUNITY-FOR-SNUGGIE-JOKE-AND-I-CAN’T-PASS-IT-UP WILDCAT


I would know FEMALE KING WILDCAT’s a woman, but I wouldn’t know she’s the King.
— COMMON SENSE WILDCAT


Sigh. And why, perchance, is it of utmost importance that *you* to be able to identify someone by gender, sex, or other characteristic?
I vote we all wear saran wrap. And Tore, with enough layers, especially of the colored variety, you really can’t see anything untoward.
— ANTI-GENDER-NORMATIVE WILDCAT


I can’t believe I need to explain to you why it is important to be able to identify things or people.
— COMMON SENSE WILDCAT


In this case, won’t we know who is the king and who is the queen because they will announce it? Otherwise it wouldn’t matter what people wore, because everyone in “appropriate” attire could claim to be the king or the queen. I’ll know who is who because someone in SFPIF will announce who has won king and who has won queen. I will believe whatever the SFPIF authority tells me (general policy for me!).
— I-HAVE-A-FRESH-NEW-ANGLE WILDCAT


On the contrary, I would think that dressing a biological female in male gendered attire, and a biological male in female gendered attire, would be more threatening to traditional binary conceptions of gender and gendered attire is being disregarded in favor of a traditional conception of kingly and queenly attire; yet that does nothing to help reinforce my gender identity. Perhaps, in true fidelity to erasing gender roles, we shouldn’t have Barrister Ball Kings and Queens at all!
— I-HAVE-AN-EVEN-FRESHER-NEW-ANGLE WILDCAT

Amen.
Many of you will likely think that this post has dubious news value. We like to think of it as a public service announcement. Please pass along to friends who are considering applying to law school.
Earlier: The PC Police Ride Strong at Northwestern
Northwestern SBA Stays Silent, Others Plan Coup

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