ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Out of respect for transgender students, three schools in Maryland's Montgomery County have begun using a single colour for graduation robes to make them gender neutral.

The Washington Post reports that Damascus, Sherwood and Walter Johnson High are no longer using separate colours for males and females.

At least five other schools in the Washington, D.C., suburb have decided to make the change next year.

Principals say letters from students played a role in the decision.

The change comes amid growing awareness of the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students nationwide.

There is no district policy about gown colours in Montgomery County. Some schools have long had a single colour for all graduates, but the dual-colour scheme has been popular at others.