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Behold! The Princes of Northshield!
May. 16th, 2016 08:39 pmWhen I heard the news, I tried (unsuccessfully) to fight back the tears. The Kingdom of Northshield had held their Crown Tourney. And low and behold, when one fighter stood alone in the middle of the field, thus becoming heir to the throne, his inspiration stood unique within the known world – for the first time, a Kingdom has two Princes and will soon have two Kings.
As I look back to the very lengthy and contentious discussions within the SCA about Inspirational Equality and whether we should consider lifting the ban on same-gender entrants into Crown Tourney, I cannot even begin to recount how many hours I spent drafting letters, writing posts, replying to questions, etc. While I hoped, I dared not put too much hope in change. For these discussions coincided with our own step up here as the Barons of Gyldenholt –also a new concept for the SCA, and one that has come with its own unique responsibilities and challenges.
When the Board decided to allow a change to the wording in corpora, I took it as my personal task to try and set minds at ease as much as was within my power. Some believed the wording went too far. Others believed it did not go far enough. And while I myself wasn’t 100% satisfied with the compromise that was reached, it did allow for the possibility of future change. And that was enough for me. After all, such a thing would most likely not happen for years and years, right?
In my head, I had a vision of what a crown tourney in some kingdom somewhere would look like. There would be a fighter inspired by his or her true love who just happened to be of the same gender. Then, as the final blow was struck, the crowd would rejoice in happiness for the two. There would be a hug and a kiss. And the crowd would cheer. Sure, this image may strike some of you as a bit too full of bluebirds, unicorns, and Hollywood orchestral accompaniment. But a guy can dream, right? Well, as reality would have it, the SCA now has its first ever pair of same-gender Princes. I do not know the gentlemen whatsoever, other than by excellent reputation. I know that they are not a romantic couple, so I can only assume that they must be good friends and good working partners.
So… is this the end of my dream? Absolutely not!
For me personally, this whole entire discussion was never about sexuality. Nor is it about what I personally want. Heck, if the dream were up to me, the SCA time period would run from 1450 – 1520, be strictly Italian, and every event would feature dance and period food. Add on that the Kings would be a romantic couple who just happened to coincidentally look like Hugh Jackman and Joshua Sasse. But here’s the thing – it isn’t about me, or you, or any one person or group or household or barony or even an entire kingdom. It is about all of us, and having the opportunity to experience different perspectives, different ideas, different cultures, different insights, different interpretations, and different aspects of history. Don’t care for a particular reign or pair of monarchs? You don’t have to – skip that reign and come back next time around. It really is just that easy. The calendar of monarchs is much like a huge buffet – nobody expects you to want to try absolutely everything that is on offer. And even if you do, you won’t like it all the same.
I can’t help but find it just a little bit wild that as Giles and I approach the end of our tenure as the first same-gender Barons that Hrodir Fyrste and Yehudah Tarkhan will begin their reign and thus, the next chapter of Inspirational Equality within the SCA. Is there any guarantee that Their reign will be smooth? No. Will absolutely everyone be happy about it? Certainly not. Might some people even decide to disappear for a reign? It is possible. And this is different, how?
The fact is, the sun will still rise. The Heralds will still announce court. And the pressure will be on them just as it is every other combination of people who sit in thrones to inspire and to remember to do what is necessary for the good of the group. And I have absolutely no reason to believe that this pair will do anything other than that. So has my dream of “the first same-gender Inspirational Equality royals” been shattered? No. Much to the contrary, I believe it is about to be realized.
As I look back to the very lengthy and contentious discussions within the SCA about Inspirational Equality and whether we should consider lifting the ban on same-gender entrants into Crown Tourney, I cannot even begin to recount how many hours I spent drafting letters, writing posts, replying to questions, etc. While I hoped, I dared not put too much hope in change. For these discussions coincided with our own step up here as the Barons of Gyldenholt –also a new concept for the SCA, and one that has come with its own unique responsibilities and challenges.
When the Board decided to allow a change to the wording in corpora, I took it as my personal task to try and set minds at ease as much as was within my power. Some believed the wording went too far. Others believed it did not go far enough. And while I myself wasn’t 100% satisfied with the compromise that was reached, it did allow for the possibility of future change. And that was enough for me. After all, such a thing would most likely not happen for years and years, right?
In my head, I had a vision of what a crown tourney in some kingdom somewhere would look like. There would be a fighter inspired by his or her true love who just happened to be of the same gender. Then, as the final blow was struck, the crowd would rejoice in happiness for the two. There would be a hug and a kiss. And the crowd would cheer. Sure, this image may strike some of you as a bit too full of bluebirds, unicorns, and Hollywood orchestral accompaniment. But a guy can dream, right? Well, as reality would have it, the SCA now has its first ever pair of same-gender Princes. I do not know the gentlemen whatsoever, other than by excellent reputation. I know that they are not a romantic couple, so I can only assume that they must be good friends and good working partners.
So… is this the end of my dream? Absolutely not!
For me personally, this whole entire discussion was never about sexuality. Nor is it about what I personally want. Heck, if the dream were up to me, the SCA time period would run from 1450 – 1520, be strictly Italian, and every event would feature dance and period food. Add on that the Kings would be a romantic couple who just happened to coincidentally look like Hugh Jackman and Joshua Sasse. But here’s the thing – it isn’t about me, or you, or any one person or group or household or barony or even an entire kingdom. It is about all of us, and having the opportunity to experience different perspectives, different ideas, different cultures, different insights, different interpretations, and different aspects of history. Don’t care for a particular reign or pair of monarchs? You don’t have to – skip that reign and come back next time around. It really is just that easy. The calendar of monarchs is much like a huge buffet – nobody expects you to want to try absolutely everything that is on offer. And even if you do, you won’t like it all the same.
I can’t help but find it just a little bit wild that as Giles and I approach the end of our tenure as the first same-gender Barons that Hrodir Fyrste and Yehudah Tarkhan will begin their reign and thus, the next chapter of Inspirational Equality within the SCA. Is there any guarantee that Their reign will be smooth? No. Will absolutely everyone be happy about it? Certainly not. Might some people even decide to disappear for a reign? It is possible. And this is different, how?
The fact is, the sun will still rise. The Heralds will still announce court. And the pressure will be on them just as it is every other combination of people who sit in thrones to inspire and to remember to do what is necessary for the good of the group. And I have absolutely no reason to believe that this pair will do anything other than that. So has my dream of “the first same-gender Inspirational Equality royals” been shattered? No. Much to the contrary, I believe it is about to be realized.
