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Female Midshipmen Swap Skirts For Trousers At Graduation

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Starting a new tradition at the U.S. Naval Academy. Female graduates will now wear pants instead of skirts, matching their male classmates.

Tracey Leong explains the reason for this gender neutral change.

Graduation day will look different for the Naval Academy Class of 2016, because, for the first time, the women and men will be dressing the same.

The female midshipmen will be wearing trousers, not skirts, matching their fellow male classmates.

The change is already gaining community support.

"I think that's great that they're saying, 'Hey, we are willing to broaden our perspectives, broaden our horizons and be a little more inclusive," said Jameson McCarty.

"Definitely in support of making everything as equal and fair as possible," said Kellee Wyneeconrad.

The U.S. Naval Academy tells WJZ: "The Naval Academy graduation and commissioning ceremony is not about individuality, but rather about the institution and the team."

The announcement comes as a gender neutral movement is sweeping the country, especially in schools.

That includes Howard County public schools, where both male and female graduates are required to wear the same color cap and gown.

"Really just reinforce, again, that consistency, that camaraderie and that school spirit," one teacher said.

The new dress code for Naval Academy graduates comes on the heels of a proposal to change the midshipman title, by taking out the word "man" to make it more gender neutral.

In December, the Pentagon opened up all combat roles in the military to allow women, where in the past, some units only accepted men--a shift towards gender equality that many are in favor of promoting.

"Male, female--whether you're born male or female--that shouldn't matter. Nothing. Everybody's human," said Tracy Shaw.

Even though they can't wear skirts for graduation, the female midshipmen will still be allowed to wear them with other uniforms when appropriate.

There are 260 women in the Naval Academy's Class of 2016.

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