by Cross Woodfield

I was a big dress-code breaker in high school.  That was about as far as I strayed from the good & plenty path.

I never got in too much trouble-the dress code was more of a formality than anything else, I think-but apparently dress code is rising to the top of the lists of priorities of schools nationwide as an issue rooted deep in ideas about gender, identity, discrimination, and safety.

There are skirt length requirements for girls, but what about for boys?  Should boys be allowed to wear skirts to school?  Is it freedom?  Is it unsafe?

According to new research, more and more girls are wearing tuxedos to prom, boys are being voted prom queen, and common folk are displaying gender curiosity, cross-dressing on themed holidays like “Mix and Match Day” at some schools instead of the lame polka-dot-and-stripe ensembles they used to assemble for these kinds of occasions.

What do you all think?  Should boys be allowed to wear skirts to school?  There is an issue of violence-one eighth-grade boy in Oxnard, CA wore high heels and make-up to school one day in February 2008 and was shot dead.

I am reminded of course of the movie Camp (warning: most likely enjoyable for theater geeks only!), and I don’t know how that boy would have turned out if he hadn’t been able to express himself creatively and visually!

I don’t know what to think or what to do about this.

It must be awful to have to conquer so much adversity as soon as you look in your closet in the morning.  Or so empowering?

Thoughts?

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