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We should not have school dress codes because some of them are really weird like no rips in jeans above your knees. It is weird because if we wear shorts are legs will show above are knees so it does not make sence.

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Clearfield Area Junior/Senior High School Clearfield, PA.: Allow students to wear jeans that are ripped, at finger-tip length.

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We should be able to wear crop tops because maybe where we came from wears them and also it is a way to express your self .

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We should be able to wear crop tops because maybe where we came from wears them and also it is a way to express your self .

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1. O ver a D re ss

2. With Overalls

3 . With H igh- Rise P ants

4. With a Midi

For the gals like me who love to dress up, pairing a fancy crop top with a midiskirt makes for a totally appropriate and stylish school outfit.

5. Layer it up

Layering a crop top guarantees that zero midriff will be showing. The key to layering a crop is making sure that it doesn't make the top underneath look bunched up and unflattering. If you're going to layer your crop top with a blouse, make sure that the crop is nice and flowy so that it compliments th e blouse well.

Even More Stories You May Like (courtesy of Google)

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Five Ways To Make Crop Tops Totally Appropriate For School | Faze

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1. O ver a D re ss 2. With Overalls 3 . With H igh- Rise P ants 4. With a Midi For the gals like me who love to dress up, pairing a fancy crop top with a midiskirt makes for a totally appropriate and stylish school outfit. 5.

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Students should be able to wear bandana because they express your self like if you are in (LGBTQ+) you can have your flags colors on one and also like if you wanna be in the service you can have like camo or any of the colors.

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Students should be able to wear bandana because they express your self like if you are in (LGBTQ+) you can have your flags colors on one and also like if you wanna be in the service you can have like camo or any of the colors.

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Millions of Americans identify as LGBTQ, and like any group, they have their own language to talk about who they are and the challenges they face in a society that doesn't fully accept or protect them.

If you want to be an ally, these terms might help - but be aware that many have been used derogatorily by straight, white, cisgender (defined below) people, and were reclaimed over time by the LGBTQ community.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and some of these terms - because they are so personal - likely mean different things to different people. If you're puzzled by a term and feel like you can ask someone you love in the LGBTQ community to help you make sense of it, do it. But also be careful not to put the burden of your education on other people when there's a whole wide world of resources out there.

Let's get started

LGBTQ: The acronym for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer." Some people also use the Q to stand for "questioning," meaning people who are figuring out their sexual orientation or gender identity. You may also see LGBT+, LGBT*, LGBTx, or LGBTQIA. I stands for intersex and A for asexual/aromantic/agender.

Speaking of intersex: Born with sex characteristics such as genitals or chromosomes that do not fit the typical definitions of male or female.

Sex: The label you are assigned at birth based on your anatomical features, chromosomes and hormones.

Gender: The societal constructions we assign people based on their sex characteristics. When you hear someone say "gender stereotypes," they're referring to the ways we expect people to act and behave based on their sex.

Queer: Originally used as a pejorative slur, queer has now become an umbrella term to describe the myriad ways people reject binary categories of gender and sexual orientation to express who they are.

Sexual orientation

Sexual orientation: How a person characterizes their sexuality. "There are three distinct components of sexual orientation," said Ryan Watson, a professor of Human Development & Family Studies at the University of Connecticut. "It's comprised of identity (I'm gay), behavior (I have sex with the same gender) and attraction (I'm sexually attracted to the same gender), and all three might not line up for all people." (Don't say "sexual preference," which implies it's a choice and easily changed.)

Gay: A sexual orientation that describes a person who is emotionally or sexually attracted to people of their own ge; commonly used to describe men.

Lesbian: A woman who is emotionally or sexually attracted to other women.

Bisexual: A person who is emotionally or sexually attracted to more than one gender.

Pansexual: A person who can be attracted to all different kinds of people, regardless of their gender identity.

Asexual: A person who doesn't fit traditional standards and expectations around sexual desire. Many people in the LGBTQ community think of sexuality as a spectrum. Asexuality is just one end of spectrum with identities (gray areas) in between. Someone who is asexual may not be sexually active but still masturbate. Or they may be attracted to people but not desire sex.

People who identify as graysexual fall somewhere between asexual and sexual on the spectrum, and can include people who experience sexual attraction rarely.

Aromantic: A person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others.

Gender identity and expression

Gender identity: How you feel and express your gender, which does not need to align with the sex you were assigned at birth.

Gender role: The social behaviors that culture assigns to each sex. Examples: Girls play with dolls, boys play with trucks; women are nurturing, men are stoic.

Gender expression: How we express ourgender identity. It can refer to our hair, the clothes we wear, the way we speak.

Pronouns: A word used instead of a noun often to refer to a person without using their name. Pronouns can signal a person's gender. Some of the most commonly used pronouns are she/her, he/him and they/them.

Neopronouns: Words created to be used as pronouns but which are gender neutral. You can read a list of neopronouns here.

Transgender: A person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Gender dysphoria: The psychological distress that occurs when a person's gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Cisgender: A person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Binary: The concept of dividing sex or gender into two clear categories. Sex is male or female, gender is masculine or feminine.

Nonbinary: Someone who doesn't identify exclusively as female or male.

Two-spirit: Someone who is a Native member of the LGBTQ community.

Genderqueer: People who reject static, conventional categories of gender and embrace fluid ideas of gender (and often sexual orientation). They are people whose gender identity can be both male and female, neither male nor female, or a combination of male and female.

Agender: Someone who doesn't identify as any particular gender.

Gender-expansive: An umbrella term used to refer to people who don't identify with traditional gender roles.

Gender fluid: Not identifying with a single, fixed gender. A person whose gender identity may change.

Gender non-conforming: People who don't conform to traditional expectations of their gender.

Trans: The overarching umbrella term for various kinds of gender identifies in the trans community.

Drag kings & drag queens: People, some who are straight and cisgender, who perform either masculinity or femininity as a form of art.

Deadnaming: Saying the name that a transgender person was given at birth but no longer uses.

Misgendering: Referring to someone in a way that does not correctly reflect their gender identity, typically by using incorrect pronouns.

Gender-affirming care: Care that helps you live your gender identity.

Gender transition: There isn't one way for a person to transition. Gender transition can include a range of social (new name and pronouns) medical (hormone therapy, surgery) and legal (changing a driver's license or birth certificate) steps to help affirm one's gender identity.

Gender confirmation surgery: A step some transgender people take to help them feel their body aligns with their gender identity.

Bottom surgery: A colloquial way of referring to gender-affirming genital surgery.

Top surgery: A colloquial way of describing gender-affirming surgery on the chest.

Binding: Flattening your breasts, sometimes to appear more masculine.

Androgynous: A person who has both masculine and feminine characteristics, which sometimes means you can't easily distinguish that person's gender. It can also refer to someone who appears female, but who adopts a style that is generally considered masculine.

'Out' vs. 'closeted'

Coming out: The complicated, multi-layered, ongoing process by which one discovers and accepts one's own sexuality and gender identity.

Outing: Publicly revealing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity when they haven't come out themselves yet.

Living openly: An LGBTQ person who is comfortable being out about their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Closeted: An LGBTQ person who will not or cannot disclose their sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Attitudes

Ally: A person who is not LGBTQ but uses their privilege to support LGBTQ people and promote equality. Allies "stand up and speak out even when the people they're allying for aren't there," said Robin McHaelen, founder and executive director of True Colors, a non-profit that provides support for LGBTQ youth and their families. In other words, not just at P ride parades.

Sex positive: An attitude that views sexual expression and sexual pleasure, if it's healthy and consensual, as a good thing.

Heterosexual privilege: Refers to the societal advantages that heterosexuals get which LGBTQ people don't. If you're a straight family that moves to a new neighborhood, for example, you probably don't have to worry about whether your neighbors will accept you.

Heteronormativity: A cultural bias that considers heterosexuality (being straight) the norm. When you first meet someone, do you automatically assume they're straight? That's heteronormativity.

Cisnormativity: A cultural bias that assumes being cis (when your gender identity aligns with the sex you were assigned at birth) is the norm.

Heterosexism: A system of oppression that considers heterosexuality the norm and discriminates against people who display non-heterosexual behaviors and identities.

Cissexism: A system of oppression that says there are only two genders, which are considered the norm, and that everyone's gender aligns with their sex at birth.

Homophobia: Discrimination, prejudice, fear or hatred toward people who are attracted to members of the same sex.

Biphobia: Discrimination, prejudice, fear or hatred toward bisexual people.

Transphobia: Discrimination, prejudice, fear or hatred toward trans people.

Transmisogyny: A blend of transphobia and misogyny, which manifests as discrimination against "trans women and trans and gender non-conforming people on the feminine end of the gender spectrum."

TERF: The acronym for "trans exclusionary radical feminists," referring to feminists who are transphobic.

Transfeminism: Defined as "a movement by and for trans women who view their liberation to be intrinsically linked to the liberation of all women and beyond." It's a form of feminism that includes all self-identified women, regardless of assigned sex, and challenges cisgender privilege. A central tenet is that individuals have the right to define who they are.

Intersectionality: The understanding of how a person's overlapping identities -including race, class, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and disability status - impact the way they experience oppression and discrimination.

Symbols

Pride rainbow flag: The universal symbol of pride for LGBTQ people around the world.

Original rainbow flag: In the late 70s, Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California, challenged activist Gilbert Baker to design a symbol of hope for the gay community. Baker's original design had 8 stripes, and included the color pink. It first flew in 1978. In the intervening years eight stripes became six, pink was removed, and royal blue replaced turquoise.

Post-BLM rainbow: Philadelphia redesigned the Pride flag in 2017 to include the colors brown and black in an effort to promote diversity and inclusion and to "honor the lives of our black and brown LGBTQ siblings," the city said in a statement. Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs partnered with Tierney, a Philadelphia PR agency, to redesign the flag as part of its new inclusivity campaign, #MoreColorMorePride.

Progress rainbow flag: Designed by Daniel Quasar in 2018, it adds five new colors to emphasize progress around inclusion. The flag includes black and brown stripes to represent people of color, and baby blue, pink and white, which are used in the Transgender Pride Flag.
Think we're missing a word? Contact Alia Dastagir on Twitter @alia_e. What is intersectional feminism? A look at the term you may be hearing a lot

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LGBTQ definitions every good ally should know

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Millions of Americans identify as LGBTQ, and like any group, they have their own language to talk about who they are and the challenges they face in a society that doesn't fully accept or protect them.

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We think that we should be able to wear tank tops because if it was a hot and we are really hot and sweaty we should be able to wear tank tops and it is equal rights for both men and women

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We think that we should be able to wear tank tops because if it was a hot and we are really hot and sweaty we should be able to wear tank tops and it is equal rights for both men and women

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Dress codes highlight an odd fact about sex discrimination cases: While laws prohibiting sex discrimination require employers to treat men and women equally, our society is still comfortable with the belief that there are fundamental cultural differences between the genders. Of course, no one disputes the basic biological fact that males and females generally have different body parts and different roles in the reproductive process. But culturally, many people still believe that men and women think and act differently (Mars and Venus, anyone?), express themselves differently, should play different roles in the family and close relationships, and yes, should dress differently.

Courts have grappled with how to handle this disconnect. On the one hand, employees in cases involving sex-based stereotypes have generally done well. In these cases, the employee is disciplined or fired for not conforming to the employer's notion of how men and women should act. In the Supreme Court case that paved the way for these employees, a woman successfully sued after she was denied partnership at the accounting firm Price Waterhouse. She was told she was too aggressive, needed to speak, act, and dress more femininely, and needed "a course in charm school." She succeeded in showing that these comments demonstrated that her employer penalized her for failing to live up to its idea of how women should behave, which is sex discrimination.

Dress code cases have taken a different turn, however. Generally, federal courts have upheld dress codes that require men and women to dress or groom themselves differently, and in a manner that conforms with gender stereotypes. Rules like those you describe have often been allowed: short hair for men but not women; suits for men and dresses or skirts for women; makeup prohibited for men but allowed or required for women, and so on. In fact, some courts have even allowed gender-based dress codes that create a more sexual image for women. Harrah's casino, for example, was allowed to require women to tease, curl or style their hair; to wear stockings; and to wear specific types of makeup, including lip color. These requirements are clearly intended to make female employees look more sexualized and more attractive in an entirely gender-based way, yet the court upheld them.

A court might step in if a dress code places a heavier burden on one gender. For example, if women were required to wear an elaborate costume and men had no dress code, that might be enough to cross the line. This is one possible line of attack in your case: Because women have to wear a particular brand of clothing and men do not, you might have a plausible claim if you are forced to spend more on your work wear. Even so, it wouldn't be much to hang a lawsuit on.

As gender identity and transgender legal issues get more attention, this disconnect will undoubtedly grow. These cases push back against cultural notions about what gender is and what role society should play in policing how it is expressed. In the meantime, however, it might be time for you to go shopping for a skirt and some makeup -- or a new job. Or a lawyer.

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Can an employer require different dress codes for men and women?

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Dress codes highlight an odd fact about sex discrimination cases: While laws prohibiting sex discrimination require employers to treat men and women equally, our society is still comfortable with the belief that there are fundamental cultural differences between the genders.

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I think we should be able to wear and hat because we may play a sport like baseball that has and hat or maybe if it is for a group you can wear one from that.

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I think we should be able to wear and hat because we may play a sport like baseball that has and hat or maybe if it is for a group you can wear one from that.

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Many kids in Waterford wear hats to school, both boys and girls, but are forced to take them off before class. I can relate to this because I also wear hats to school.

Hats are what kids like to wear these days, whether it's a snapback, their baseball team, or an authentic cap. I think that kids would feel more at home or more comfortable at school if they were allowed to wear hats. Maybe it would help the students score higher on quizzes or tests.

Also, many kids don't like their hairstyle and like to cover it up with a simple hat. Even girls might roll out of bed in the morning and want to throw on a hat. What if someone got a bad haircut or had a bad hair day? That could easily turn into bullying issues about their hair.

One reason hats are banned is because it is a distraction. How could a hat be a distraction? Students are allowed to wear bracelets in school and some of them are brightly colored and could easily become a distraction, but they are not banned. If you ban hats because of distraction, bracelets should go as well.

Another excuse for banning hats is it's disrespectful to wear hats indoors. Well people need to realize it is not the 20th century anymore and individuals wear hats anywhere now, so that should not be a problem.

Lastly, hats are banned because of weapon-hiding issues. Heck, if you can hide weapons in a hat, you can hide them anywhere including shoes, underclothes, and jackets. So if that were an issue, to be fair you would have to ban all those items listed from school as well.

If you go anywhere, you will see almost half of the people are wearing hats. Hats are a part of American culture, and schools should not take that away from students across the country.

Subscribe

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Many kids in Waterford wear hats to school, both boys and girls, but are forced to take them off before class. I can relate to this because I also wear hats to school. Hats are what kids like to wear these days, whether it's a snapback, their baseball team, or an authentic cap.

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This one make absolutely no sense to us, what is wrong with shoulders? All they do is provide movement to us. Nothing distracting about that,

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This one make absolutely no sense to us, what is wrong with shoulders? All they do is provide movement to us. Nothing distracting about that,

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Late afternoons in Millbrook, Alabama were terrible. I learned that very quickly. The heat, the bugs, and the humidity were such a terrible mix. Dense grass and burnt, blistered hands made for grueling rehearsals. Surely through all this suffering I would be able to conquer anything, it seemed.

I was wrong. The biggest obstacle I'd ever face turned out, as cliché as it sounds, to be me.

Photo by Ruth Marek

I joined Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps for the 2017 season, and my rookie year would definitely showcase the impact of these negative thoughts. We were not even a week into tour when I first "broke." I had survived all-days, but once we hit the road, it seemed that I couldn't continue. That day, the pressures were particularly immense. I had been newly promoted to the marimba line, been given only nine days to learn the full show, and now we were on tour. Competition would start that very day. Needless to say, the odds were stacked against me. The grass on the field was extremely, almost unnaturally thick, making for a hellish and painful push. I'm already a small person, and of course only being a week or so into my rookie season, I didn't have the muscles for it yet. The sun was beating down on us; the temperature came close to 100 degrees. The marimba itself - yeah, the big thing I have to push around a field all day - was actually at least twice if not three times my size. On top of it all, we were under a time limit which, if violated, resulted in a penalty for the whole corps.

I could continue on for ages about all the external factors that made my experience difficult, but I would be completely ignoring the point. Those external factors made my experience difficult, not impossible. The factors weren't the problem itself. I was the problem. I didn't believe in myself. Negative thoughts thrive in negative environments. As such, the aforementioned circumstances resulted in a copious quantity of self-doubt, self-loathing, regret, and other wonderful feelings. My own negative thinking patterns created the problem.

How does one overcome oneself? It's almost paradoxical. In retrospect, I've struggled with myself for far longer than just in drum corps, and I still struggle today. But that sweltering day, in the middle of Millbrook, Alabama, I was given something that has helped me tremendously in my fight to extinguish my negative thinking patterns. That day, in the middle of my push onto the field, my legs locked up. My thighs were screaming, and I was pretty close to doing the same if I hadn't been biting down on my lip. I was leading the whole line of front ensemble onto the field, so I had to keep going. I tried to. But I couldn't.

I couldn't do it.

I couldn't do it.

I heard my section called out from the press box: "That's two minutes already! Front ensemble has thirty seconds to get set!"

I couldn't do it.

I couldn't do it.

The pain of pushing the board mixed with the pain of the humiliation I'd caused myself and my section. I began to cry. My technician, Kirstyn (whom you may remember from my previous article), ran to my side. Tears were streaming down my face, probably leaving streaks of sunscreen washed away. I thought she'd help me push. She didn't.

All she did was stare at me. I still remember her eyes, icy blue and filled with confidence, like she was willing it with everything she had to transfer to me. I remember sobbing. At this point, I'm still pushing, but barely. She said two words to me, and those two words changed my entire life: "Keep pushing."

I'd love to say that something clicked into place. I'd love to say that those two words filled me with strength and my speed skyrocketed, bringing me and my section to our place in time. It didn't happen like that, of course, but the fact that it didn't have some magical effect on me speaks to me. It shows that overcoming oneself has always been and will always be a long process, filled with successes and failures just like any other.

More than anything, those words fill me with hope. Hope that I can get through whatever obstacle I'm facing. Those words have become a sort of mantra for me, and I am immensely glad to have received that advice. I've taken on so much more in my life than ever before thanks to the hope it brings me.

If you're ever facing an obstacle, be it yourself or otherwise, keep pushing. You'll thank yourself after the fact.

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Late afternoons in Millbrook, Alabama were terrible. I learned that very quickly. The heat, the bugs, and the humidity were such a terrible mix. Dense grass and burnt, blistered hands made for grueling rehearsals. Surely through all this suffering I would be able to conquer anything, it seemed. I was wrong.

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Workout tights are a "distraction" to boys. Girl's aren't even aloud to be comfortable in workout tights anymore!

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Workout tights are a "distraction" to boys. Girl's aren't even aloud to be comfortable in workout tights anymore!

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A middle school in Evanston, Ill., has issued a new dress code barring girls from wearing shorts, leggings and yoga pants to school, on the grounds that the leg-displaying garments are "distracting" to boys.

Well, yeah. Google " leggings images" or, especially, "yoga pants images," and you'll see exactly what I mean. Especially if you have ever been - or been around - a boy between the ages of 11 and 14, the usual age range for middle school.

But judging from the reaction of the feminist media - and here's what's really surprising, some parents of the kids in question - you'd think that the school, Haven Middle School, had decided to require head-to-toe burkas.

The idea seems to be that the Haven dress code is sexist because it makes the girls stop wearing skin-clinging, butt-hugging outerwear instead of making the boys stop looking at and thinking about the girls wearing skin-clinging, butt-hugging outwear. Indeed, the very idea of having a school dress code for girls is supposed to promote "rape culture."

"Targeting tight pants rests on the assumption that girls must work to prevent themselves from being ogled, rather than teaching boys they should work to avoid objectifying their female peers. The policy also links girls' clothing to boys' inability to control themselves."

"[B]y implying that boys simply can't control themselves around girls' bodies, administrators are pandering to a culture that too often transfers blame from men to their female victims. They risk encouraging young, impressionable minds, both male and female, that women are in some way responsible because of their 'suggestive' clothing and their behavior for sexual crimes and transgressions, rather than making clear that each individual is responsible for his or her own actions."

And as I said above, even some of the parents at Haven - supposedly mature people who you'd think ought to be telling their daughters to save the yoga pants for yoga class - have gotten into the outrage act. The Evanston Patch quoted a parents' email sent to Haven Principal Kathy Roberson (a woman, you'll note):

"We are frankly shocked at this antiquated and warped message that is being sent to the kids. Under no circumstances should girls be told that their clothing is responsible for boys' bad behaviors. This kind of message lands itself squarely on a continuum that blames girls and women for assault by men. It also sends the message to boys that their behaviors are excusable, or understandable given what the girls are wearing. And if the sight of a girl's leg is too much for boys at Haven to handle, then your school has a much bigger problem to deal with.

"We really hope that you will consider the impact of these policies and how they contribute to rape culture. Girls should be able to feel safe and unashamed about what they wear. And boys need to be corrected and taught when they harass girls."

Time for a reality check.

First of all, the Haven dress code isn't unlike the dress codes that many public schools have enacted to promote clothing appropriate for a learning environment. Kenilworth Junior High in Petaluma banned leggings last year, to a similar outcry in feminist circles.

Second, the issue isn't about rape culture or even boys harassing girls. It's about, as the Haven dress code says, distraction. Adolescent heterosexual boys think about girls a lot. Make that almost all the time. And because human males of any age are visually oriented in their sexual attraction (it's why the porn industry caters chiefly to men), they have a radar-like capacity for spotting and looking at attractive females. Adolescent heterosexual girls, for their part, are just about as boy crazy as the boys are girl crazy, and they have a complementary desire to show off as much of themselves to the opposite sex as they can get away with. Add to that mix a) a media culture that celebrates baring just about everything in public, and b) the runaway hormones and extreme immaturity of early adolescence, and you have a school scene that's, uh, rather more exciting than it is conducive to studying the quadratic formula.

Of course schools should insist that boys be polite and should punish harassment of girls severely. But there's nothing wrong with telling girls to tone it down on their end. For one thing, school is supposed to be a serious environment. Just as we deem shorts and leggings in lieu of pants - perfectly fine in some recreational settings - to be inappropriate wear for most offices, we're entitled to deem them inappropriate for school, especially middle school.

One thing that beats me about progressive parents is that so many of them want their daughters to become scientists and college presidents, but they don't want them to dress or act appropriately in the educational settings that will prepare them for those intellectual professions. They don't want boys treating their daughters like sex objects, but they don't mind their daughters turning themselves into sex objects.

I can understand why the girls who go to Haven wish the dress code would go away so they can dress whichever way they feel like. What I can't understand is why their parents are egging them on.

Charlotte Allen writes frequently about feminism, politics and religion. Follow her on Twitter @MeanCharlotte.

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Girls shouldn't wear leggings to school -- and progressive parents should agree

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A middle school in Evanston, Ill., has issued a new dress code barring girls from wearing shorts, leggings and yoga pants to school, on the grounds that the leg-displaying garments are "distracting" to boys. Well, yeah. Google " leggings images" or, especially, "yoga pants images," and you'll see exactly what I mean.

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We believe that all students should be able to wear tank tops because what if it is to hot out side and were going to have to wear a t-shirt instead of wearing a tank top, that has more space to breathe in.

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We believe that all students should be able to wear tank tops because what if it is to hot out side and were going to have to wear a t-shirt instead of wearing a tank top, that has more space to breathe in.

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Debate.org is a dynamic social community where you can voice your opinion on today's hottest issues.

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These shoes are ment for hot days and for casual outfits as well but sadly you can't wear them to school.

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These shoes are ment for hot days and for casual outfits as well but sadly you can't wear them to school.

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We think that it is okay to be wearing a dress that is a little over your finger tips! We believe this because, what if only the dresses she likes are a little over her knees and the only dress that is not is something that she does not like, your making her choices neither A. don't get a dress/skirt or B. "deal with it it's only an outfit right"?

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We think that it is okay to be wearing a dress that is a little over your finger tips! We believe this because, what if only the dresses she likes are a little over her knees and the only dress that is not is something that she does not like, your making her choices neither A. don't get a dress/skirt or B. "deal with it it's only an outfit right"?

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While a dress code is supposed to make the school environment more conducive to learning, it frequently does the opposite. In the past year, schools all over the country made national news for the ways they enforce their dress code- asking a student to put duct tape over the holes in her jeans, suspending a student for a skirt that was too short, or sending a student to the office for not wearing a bra -all of which take the focus off learning and place it on girls' bodies.

At East Longmeadow High School, Massachusetts, six out of the nine dress code regulations targeted female students. The dress code had not been updated since the 1990s. "It was time for us to revisit some of the language," principal Gina Flanagan said.

Many school dress codes use gendered language, such as "girls must not wear spaghetti straps or show cleavage." The reasoning? These things are distracting to other students, particularly males. Girlhood expert Shauna Pomerantz of Brock University says that "dress coding" students for being distracting is a form of victim-blaming.

"It's saying the male response is your fault. Your body is causing negativity," explains Pomerantz. Sexist rules also set a precedent for men, she adds. "It is offensive to men. It suggests they don't have the ability to talk to a female student without going wild."

Marci Kutzer, a fourth-grade teacher at Bertha Ronzone Elementary in Las Vegas, Nevada, says that, while school boards couch dress codes as preparing students for the workplace and adult life, their real purpose is to prevent "distractions."

Kutzer says that sends a powerful message: "A boy's education can be compromised by your gender. Please do what you can to neutralize it." This clearly puts a burden on female students.

Another notorious dress code rule is the "finger-tip policy." Female students must wear skirts or shorts that go past their fingertips. While this seems straightforward, students and parents report that for some, it's impossible to find clothing that complies with the rule.

In Duval County, Florida, Nikki Belsham says that she's been struggling with this rule since she was in school, and now her daughter is facing the same dilemma.

Shopping for her daughter is difficult; while Belsham can find appropriate clothing at the mall, it doesn't pass the test. This is a common problem.

"Take a tall, skinny 12 year old girl-her shorts may not pass this finger length test and would be considered inappropriate for school, even though her butt is covered and the shorts are relatively long," she explains.

Belsham also says that administration won't enforce the rule with boys. "Not one person in administration would even look at or question the length of a boy's shorts."

'White Male Default'

Kutzer says that she will only "dress code" students if their clothing is clearly so tight it is uncomfortable. Her school follows "standard school attire," (SSA) so students wear uniforms. On laundry day, however, some students show up without. Other student's families can't afford to keep up with their growing children, so their uniforms are ill-fitting.

"We are told by our administrators to send non-compliance issues to the office, but I only refer kids who are clearly wearing too tight or uncomfortable clothing, and I send them to the nurse, who keeps a stash of extra clothing for this type of situation," explains Kutzer.

The high school attended by her daughter, however, uses a dress code policy rather than the SSA. Kutzer noticed that it essentially targets female and minority students-the focus being on on parts of the female anatomy, like backs, shoulders, and legs.

"Targeting styles of clothing that are mostly associated with a particular minority group is discriminatory. When styles such as 'sagging pants' are the issue, we are putting a burden predominantly on black males," says Kutzer.

She calls this the "white male default," a common trend for school dress codes. "Dressing as most white young men do seems to be what is encouraged.'

In 17-year-old Maddie Reeser's Baltimore City public school, it's the Black girls at her school who are the most frequently dress coded-a double discrimination. "My white friends rarely get sent to the office, but my Black friends do quite often," says Reeser.

Another student said she brought up this issue to a male administrator, who told her it was "because white girls don't have as much to show." The student says this comment made her feel uncomfortable, let along failing to address the inequality.

Despite the fact that Reeser's school has a uniform, she and her peers still faced the same issues that Belsham described at her Duval County school. "The rule should be based on the clothes, not how they fit, because it's different for each person," says Belsham.

Despite the rules being the same for every girl, teachers end up enforcing the rules more strictly with Black females, and in a way that is humiliating.

Many dress codes can cause black students to fall behind academically, according to a 2018 National Women's Law Center study. Looking at public schools in the District of Columbia, the report found that three in four D.C. public high school dress codes say students can be pulled out of class or school for dress code violations.

"It's outrageous that girls are losing critical class time simply for what they are wearing," said NWLC Education Fellow and report co-author, Kayla Patrick. "This sends a disturbing message to all students: What a girl looks like is more important than what she learns and thinks. No girl should ever have to forfeit her education because her shirt is the wrong color or she has a hole in her jeans."

Making All Students Feel Comfortable

East Longmeadow principal Flanagan said she's tried to target inequalities at her own school by creating a gender-neutral dress code, and by involving students in the dress code process. "Instead of saying no low cut shirts or cleavage, the dress code says all private parts must be covered at all times," she says.

Pomerantz recommends giving students lots of leeway to express themselves with fashion. If something truly crosses the line, there's a way to tell them, without enforcing victim-blaming.

"A question you can ask is 'What is it about dressing this way that's so important to you?'" Pomerantz recommends.

Many schools are looking into updating their dress code policies by making them more gender neutral, gathering student input and changing the wording-just taking the blame off females for "distracting" male students. Kutzer says the SSA at her school promotes equality fairly successfully-at least at the fourth-grade level. The districts hasn't yet introduced the SSA at the high school level.

"We want our kids to feel comfortable when they come to school," says Flanagan. "Who knows? Five or ten years from now we may have to update again to fit the changing times."

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When School Dress Codes Discriminate | NEA

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While a dress code is supposed to make the school environment more conducive to learning, it frequently does the opposite.