College bans cross dressing

[McDreidel09]

http://news.aol.com/article/morehous...cross%2F722083

Here's a basic summary:

Morehouse, an all male private college, has put up a dress code that says no-one can cross dress. It was specifically aimed at 5 of the students who do cross dress.

Personally, I don't think that it's right to stop guys from wearing women's clothes. As long as they are wearing clothes that cover up what bits need to be covered up, it should be ok.

They say that it is a distraction to other students. I think that if you are truly focused on your work, it shouldn't distract you. I don't know about anyone else, but my focus is on the professor and the lesson at hand. I could care less about what other people are wearing, as long as they aren't naked.

My favorite part was when they talked about having diversity, yet they are an all male college with a ban on cross dressing. I find that to be a bit hypocritical.

Yes, it is a private college and they are different from state funded universities, therefore have a different standard and can make those rules as they see fit. That I acknowledge. However, I don't think that it's right.

Other views?

[Lace Neil Singer]

While I personally do not agree with such a rigid rule, the point still stands that as a private college, they are entitled to put in place whatever rules they wish. If a student does not like said rules, then he can choose to go elsewhere to study.

[gremcint]

"We are talking about five students who are living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way we do not expect in Morehouse men," he said.

Separate fratching thread I know but: crossdressing does not equal gay and gay does not equal crossdressing.

However if these 5 students are gay then:

Before the school released the policy, Bynum said, he met with Morehouse Safe Space, the campus' gay organization.
"We talked about it and then they took a vote," he said. "Of the 27 people in the room, only three were against it."

The school did try to speak to them about it however it seems that their own group has no interest in supporting them.


I'd say the school could have been more diplomatic but could have been a lot worse, they didn't pull these 5 aside and encourage to not crossdress, they didn't try to expel them. They just stood up and said that they think certain clothes are unacceptable and distracting and it's not just crossdressing they banned:

The policy also bans wearing hats in buildings, pajamas in public, do-rags, sagging pants, sunglasses in class and walking barefoot on campus.

I think they are overreacting but they could have done a lot worse, also the crossdressers can still wear women's jeans, pants, underwear, shirts and shoes just not highheels, skirts, purse or makeup.

I'm not entirely sure the school overstepped their bounds, they put limits on a number of clothing items not just crossdressers and are trying to maintain a professional appearance.

Now had the crossdressing items been the only things on the list or I felt they were actually specifically targeting them then I'd have a different opinion.

Also kudos to them on the pajama thing, I got really tired of seeing all the people at my last college who literally looked like they had just gotten out of bed.

[AdminAssistant]

Yes, sadly, since it is a private school they are allowed to make whatever rules they like, within some bounds.

[BroomJockey]

Yes, sadly, since it is a private school

Sadly? Is that a typo? Isn't this basically the entire point of private schools and institutions in general? They're given the freedom to create the kinds of environments they want, and then if it's something that enough people want, it flourishes, or will wither away if it is shunned? An environment for anyone of any temperament if you look hard enough?

Three cheers for private institutions being able to make any damned-near-lunacy rule they want. Options are the spice of life.

[Tanasi]

My oldest son is told right down to his underwear what he can and cannot wear not only to class but any other time. If his disobeys not only could he get kicked out but he could also go to prison if his judge so desired.

[AdminAssistant]

Sadly?

[...]

Three cheers for private institutions being able to make any damned-near-lunacy rule they want. Options are the spice of life.

I don't like discrimination...and this is bordering on it a bit too closely for my liking. It's freakin' college, as long as their bits are covered students should have the privilege to wear whatever they damn well please. Even if I think it's disrespectful for students to come to class in pajamas, I think students should have the right to do so. Hell, I often went to class in athletic wear...because half my classes were acting/movement/dance and we had to wear something we could move in.

[BroomJockey]

I don't like discrimination...and this is bordering on it a bit too closely for my liking.

No, it's called "freedom." Like it or not, you live in a country where the government has dictated that freedoms can be limited by institutions, but you have the freedom to leave. Something like "checks and balances." If you don't like it, you don't have to go there. The entire point of the system. Some people WANT it like that, and they DO go there. We could argue all day about whether restricting clothing generally is discrimination (since there was more to it than just restricting cross-dressing, as gremcint pointed out), but it's their right to be able to make those rules. Choice of clothing isn't covered anywhere as a protected class.

[Lace Neil Singer]

No, it's called "freedom." Like it or not, you live in a country where the government has dictated that freedoms can be limited by institutions, but you have the freedom to leave. Something like "checks and balances." If you don't like it, you don't have to go there.

Exactly. Rather than make things hard for yourself by insisting on attending a certain college, and bitching about their rules, go elsewhere. It's really not hard. Obviously most people are fine with the rules at this place, or else it would have shut down for want of students.

[AdminAssistant]

Exactly. Rather than make things hard for yourself by insisting on attending a certain college, and bitching about their rules, go elsewhere.

Oh, trust me, I understand. Won't catch me in a private university anyway, as the ones that aren't Ivy League are (for the most part) religious. It just doesn't....set right with me, for some reason.

[gremcint]

If they had introduced a uniform for all students instead would we be having this discussion?

[Boozy]

My oldest son is told right down to his underwear what he can and cannot wear not only to class but any other time. If his disobeys not only could he get kicked out but he could also go to prison if his judge so desired.

I'm assuming your son is attending a military college?

[Greenday]

No, it's called "freedom." Like it or not, you live in a country where the government has dictated that freedoms can be limited by institutions, but you have the freedom to leave. Something like "checks and balances." If you don't like it, you don't have to go there. The entire point of the system. Some people WANT it like that, and they DO go there. We could argue all day about whether restricting clothing generally is discrimination (since there was more to it than just restricting cross-dressing, as gremcint pointed out), but it's their right to be able to make those rules. Choice of clothing isn't covered anywhere as a protected class.

I don't like it because arguments like this one open up all sorts of major issues. Like it makes racism, sexism, etc. etc. ok, because if you don't like it, just don't go there. How can you say it's perfectly ok to discriminate against one group but not another? I mean, I think the idea of an all black male college is racist/sexist as it is. What if a private college decided to only allowed white males in? That's cool right? Cause it's a private college and you can choose to just not go there.

[blas87]

You'll never see a school just for white people, or a National Caucasian College Fund, so I wouldn't even dwell on that.

[BroomJockey]

. How can you say it's perfectly ok to discriminate against one group but not another?

Because they're not discriminating against one group. There's an entire list of clothing that's unacceptable. Further, while I may or may not like it, a private institution is allowed to discriminate based on any criteria it chooses. It's a college. It's already discriminating against people based on money, and likely intelligence. If they wanted to, they could tack on height, weight, and shoe size. Why does style of dress suddenly get a ticket to discriminationville? It's not like they kicked the students out, unless there's more to the story than was in that article.

As Pedersen often says (though I'm paraphrasing), I defend their right to be giant arses, so my lesser arseness goes unimpeded.