Since middle school, girls have been taught that their shoulders, their knees, their legs, their whole body is somehow sexual. Girls get punished for being a distraction towards their male classmates. On some occasions, they even get sent home. I guess ‘improving’ the odds of a male to get educated in a distraction-free zone makes up for halting a girl’s education.
The idea of having a dress code is terrible. It assumes that all men are unable to control themselves. I prefer to think that my male friends and cousins see me the same way when I wear jeans than when I wear leggings.
Melissa McKinlay’s daughter, Palm Beach County’s mayor, a victim of sexism because of her school’s administration. On September 12, an unnamed administrator from Forest Hill sent the mayor’s daughter to in school suspension because of a tear in her jeans at the right knee. According to myPalmBeachPost, he told McKinlay’s daughter that, “she needed to consider the guys in her class and their hormones when choosing her wardrobe.” Why should a girl need to make sure that no trace of her skin is exposed when we have to deal with seeing guy’s undergarments every time they sag?
A girl should not have to be punished because of a male’s “inability to control their hormones.” Many guys are perfectly okay with seeing a shoulder. Some guys have morals and can show the same respect that they would to a girl wearing a blouse than to a girl wearing a tank top. “I see no point in having girls cover up, it’s just skin,” said senior George Limage. “Guys get away with wearing certain things that girls get an automatic dress code for.”
By stating that a guy will be unable to control himself if they see a girl’s skin, brings back the victim-shaming issue. The way dress code is enforced sends a message that it is always going to be the girl’s fault if one of their classmates harasses them. She probably asked for it. She must have since she was wearing an above the knee skirt, right?
It is time to show love to the ladies. It is time to allow them to be comfortable in their own skin. It is time to correct males when they disrespect a girl based on what they are wearing.
