Shoulders are NOT Sexual

    As a teacher, once female student, and someone who has struggled with her body image since 8 years old, dress codes infuriate me. Young women -- and young men, though this post will primarily focus on young women--  should be able to express themselves through their fashion without being made to feel shame or being told that they're "a distraction." Shoulders are not sexual. Legs are not sexual. Female skin is not sexual just, because it is shown. Our patriarchal society and print media perpetrate these outdated ideals. Male students who are "tempted" by these things have serious issues if these temptations are so all consuming that they cannot focus on their work, and I don't know that I want them in class with my female students. Why is the girl punished in these situations?  Why is she made to feel shame when she isn't the one with problem?  She is just existing. We aren't responsible for how other people perceive us. Those are personal issues of the individuals doing the perceiving.

     

 

 








    I have seen a few videos of young women speaking about their experiences with public schools' outdated dress codes recently. The first video discusses the story of a high school senior named Summer. She is an honor roll student with a full ride scholarship on the line. She has been persecuted for wearing a shirt. SHE WAS ALMOST ARRESTED OVER A SHIRT! A non revealing shirt--not that it should matter-- at that. Tell me why this student's diploma and pursuit of higher education should be on the line because of a shirt? How is this okay? Our schools DO NOT have their priorities straight. Our students' education and productive learning experiences are paramount above ALL else. When we start to make schools rigid environments for female students to express themselves and to feel comfortable, then we are failing. We are failing them. We have to do better.

    This second video tells the story of another female student who was sent home for baring her shoulders. Her circumstances are different than that of Summer's. This student was wearing a strapless dress to school, because the school's air conditioning was out. She was hot, and she wanted to be comfortable. Who in their right mind can argue with her logic? She was hot. She was dressing for the circumstances in which she was being forced to

learn: Teen Sent Home for Strapless Dress

.

All of our bodies deserve respect.  All bodies are good bodies.

    In my personal experience teaching, I have had male students tell other female students, "You look sexual today." My response went something like this, "Excuse me? I am sorry, WHAT did you just say? Did you just make a very sexist comment that could be construed as harassment if you were in a place of work or a public space? I think you did. That is unacceptable, and you need to apologize and treat your female peers with respect." It is completely ridiculous that I have to tell male students this. That I have to make examples of them in my classroom. A CLASSROOM that is supposed to be a safe space and productive learning environment for all. Where we are supposed to practice tolerance and respect. We need to teach young men how to stop sexualizing young girls and women. On top of that, we need more comprehensive sexual education in our public schools--especially in Oklahoma where it isn't even required.

High School

   As a high school student, I typically looked like this: 

  There is NOTHING wrong with this. I wanted to look this way. I was never sent home for it, and this picture shows overtly sexualized body parts, my breasts, as opposed to shoulders that are not even remotely sexual.

    Our public schools better get it together, because young women are educated about feminist issues today, unlike myself at their age. And I promise they won't be silent, public schools of America and the world. The future is female. They are coming for you. 

Art by Kimothy Joy--one of my favorite female artists of the moment

Thanks for reading,

Stacy