University of North Texas students have voted against allowing same-sex couples to run for homecoming court.
Over 13 percent of the student body voted on the issue and out of 4,895 votes, 58 percent voted no and 42 percent voted yes.
The voting began last Monday and ended Friday on the student government's Web site: www.untsga.com.
Couples, rather than individuals, run for homecoming court at UNT. The student Senate voted earlier in the semester to not allow gay couples to compete for homecoming court, but that decision led to protests from some students.
So the student Senate approved, with a 22-1 vote, a measure that called for a referendum on the question.
Chris Passafiume, the sponsor of the bill that brought the issue to a vote, said he hoped the process would have produced a different outcome.
"Well I'm disappointed, but I don't think that, necessarily, that the outcome of the vote is indicative of the acceptance of diversity here at the university," he said.
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Dakota Carter, UNT's student government association president, said the issue produced a large voter turnout.
"I'm very proud that there has been debate, it's been a civil dialogue and people have come out to vote," he said. "People have expressed their opinion, and as president, I will support what the student body -- the majority opinion -- voted for.
Carter said gay men and women have run for homecoming court in the past, just not as same-sex couples.
"In the history of homecomings you always have a king and a queen, why would it change now?" UNT student Andrew Khubiar said. "It's something they should just keep as tradition -- homecoming tradition is king and a queen."
