I sincerely apologize if this decision has caused you any emotional discomfort or has instilled in you the belief that we wish to in any way be exclusionary to non-binary or trans people, as this is not the case. We take matters of respect and representation seriously within the community.
On the upside: As this is simply a matter of judge preference (and only some judges do not trust themselves to stay neutral), there is always the chance that next year's jury will have a different view on the matter. We are still very much in the experimental phase of hosting these jams where we try to see which compositions of jury, rules and themes will work best together.
Once again, I apologize for any troubles caused and hope to see you again next year.