Poll Question

Posted to: Education Suffolk

Should schools bar students from dressing in gender inappropriate clothing?

Disclaimer: This is an unscientific sampling of users.

Puh-lease!

Submitted by Yaliina on Sun, 02/19/2012 at 2:14 pm.

I would be surprised, but since the State has already showed their misogynistic butts recently, I am not. What is gender-inappropriate? Does that mean girls can't wear a fedora? Or a tie? How about pants? Once, it was inappropriate for a girl to leave the house without a corset, chemise, ankle-length skirt, stockings, gloves, and a head covering. Some cultures still dress similarly. Who gets to decide? Oh, right! The same misogynistic pigs who want to keep women in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant, by outlawing contraception and making any action that may potentially harm a newly fertilized egg criminal! Obviously, this is an attack on trans-genderism, or is supposed to be an attack on gays. How 19th century!

Straw man argument

Submitted by waynes21170 on Mon, 03/05/2012 at 6:27 am.

You post several distracting statements, none of them addressing the point: should kids be allowed to wear distracting, gender-inappropriate clothing to school? No, of course not. This may surprise you, but--that's what we normally call 'common sense'. Like it or not, kids will push the limits, and the more you cave to their petulant demands, the harder they will push the limits. Same goes for the ACLU, whose very name is a misnomer if I ever heard one. Get off your soapbox and quit whining about misogynistic pigs...as though trans-genderism is something to be celebrated. Apparently there are some parents 'out there' who have parked their brains in neutral, and abdicated their responsibilities as adults!

"Gender-appropriate clothing"

Submitted by Katie Bradford on Tue, 02/14/2012 at 11:18 am.

...is, as Silk says, a poorly-expressed idea. Everybody should be allowed to dress for their gender (how they feel deep inside) but this may not be the same as their sex (how their chromosomes are arranged).
Priorities here: what should schools teach? I suggest knowledge, wisdom and good citizenship. Fashion-compliance, bullying and contempt for others aren't on that list.

Look, not many people understand cross-dressing - I've been doing it for nearly 60 years and I still don't! But 25% of men have done it sometime and about 5% do regularly (most, alas, in private). Anyone who comes out in public deserves great respect for courage. Not to mention that one person in 1,000 who is in fact transsexual and has a long and rocky road to travel.

The question is poorly

Submitted by Silk on Sat, 02/11/2012 at 1:09 pm.

The question is poorly worded, but I think I understand your intent. It seems that the question writer assumes as many people do about transgendered individuals; that their gender is the same as their genitals. This is incorrect and defines what being transgendered is all about. If their gender DID match their genitals they'd likely conform to your limited expectations of expression. For a trans-girl to wear girl's clothes IS appropriate to her gender, even though the misinformed would object. I realize that many disagree with this position. I would advise them to study clinical research evidence that has become mainstream knowledge in the last 2 decades before they display their lack of understanding. It is NOT as simple as it seems.

I beg to differ...

Submitted by waynes21170 on Mon, 03/05/2012 at 6:41 am.

Yes, it IS as simple as it seems: keep the off-beat clothing at home. School is for learning, for getting the education necessary for moving into a productive adult life. 'Expressing your inner self' by wearing oddball clothing appropriate to the other sex is not only distracting, it tells me that the student is unfocused, and worse--that their parents are not in charge. School boards all-too-often cave in to this nonsense, and they DO have a right to impose standards, and to expect reasonable compliance. Nobody needs to study 'clinical research evidence' to figure out that cross-dressing is little more than an aberration--keep your 'inner self' and your frustrated sexuality at home. School is not 'play time'; it's for learning.

To Suffolk School Board:

Submitted by mm12175 on Fri, 02/10/2012 at 9:32 am.

So, is this new policy designed to get your test scores out of the toilet? This is the best you can come up with? Hope to see quick results...

Regardless of your sexual

Submitted by OdetoCommonSence on Fri, 02/10/2012 at 8:27 am.

Regardless of your sexual orientation, we send our children to school to get an education leave the fashion statement at home. I work in the schools and I am tired of seeing inappropriate attire on students, I understand the need to express your self but there is a time and a place and school is not the place. The dress code should be simple boys should wear khaki pants and a collard shirt, girls have the same option or they can wear a dress or skirt.Students should not walk around exposing body parts I am surprise that some parents let their sons and daughters go to school looking like they are getting ready to work on the corner. Teach your children self respect.

@ Anonymous school worker

Submitted by Silk on Sun, 02/12/2012 at 1:22 pm.

There are several problems with your post. First, gender identity has nothing to do with sexual orientation, though many people make the error of thinking so. Second, there is no "fashion statement" being made. The student simply wants to be comfortable in school, which most students are afforded that freedom. Thirdly, your dress code suggestion is inherently sexist. You would offer girls more options than boys in dress expression since you allow girls to wear either the same as boys or female attire. And lastly, although I have not seen the attire of the transgendered student, I have my doubts that she has been "exposing body parts". She just wants to dress appropriate to her gender, though you think her gender is between her legs.

Johnny can't read...

Submitted by SamD on Fri, 02/10/2012 at 8:18 am.

But he'll be stylish while he's getting his GED.

pointless

Submitted by rdaix on Thu, 02/09/2012 at 4:44 pm.

This would be discriminatory toward trans children. As long as the clothes themselves are appropriate then that should be all that matters. This also treats trans girls less fairly than trans boys. As a trans guy, I was able to wear boy's clothes all the time without most people caring even before transition and hormones, but a trans girl is more likely to be admonished or even punished for wearing girl's clothes. I highly doubt this policy would be used to control everyone's gender expression equally. But then again, this isn't about being fair or logical, its about making a big stupid fuss over boys in girl's clothes. Get a grip, people. Safety issues? Yeah right.