Brighton College

[dillon]

I was visualising the change over to a more relaxed skirt / trouser choice for schools in general, maybe replacing the skirt idea with kilts - not specifically with the Brighton College in mind. Will any non-private schools take up on the idea as well if the College's way works, or will this be just a one-off stunt? Time will tell I'm sure. There isn't an awful lot any of us can do anyway, whatever we think about it...unless we've a son attending the school of course...

Certainly it's better than what schools in this country are doing, which is nothing. But it does irk me that Brighton in its policy change actually enforces stigmatization of kids when it really isnt their business what the gender identity of the students may be. Brighton seems to fear being seen as enabling crossdressers while trying to brag about their progressive attitude toward TG students. They just failed, IMO. Change the dress code to let the kids choose their uniform style without prejudging their reasons for their choices. Take the heat...thats why they are the adults.

[crfriend]

I was visualising the change over to a more relaxed skirt / trouser choice for schools in general, maybe replacing the skirt idea with kilts [...]

Applying the "rule of unintended consequences", I can see expanding to kilts but stopping short of outright skirts backfiring -- for the simple reason that kilts are men's garments; that alone risks torquing off the trans-* crowd, or at the very least the XY-chromosomed trans-* contingent (for no good reason, mind).

If one is going to relax the uniform strictures I suspect it'd be simpler to go all the way with it, state that, "These are the acceptable components" and that "They must be coordinated in a smart and pleasing manner and not subject the school nor the student to ridicule." I included the "student" simply for completeness; in this sort of thing, the school will likely come up for some heat -- and so what -- as will the child in question. The difference is that the child (and make no bones in this case, we are talking children for the most part) can defend him- or her- self in the "heat of the moment"; the school cannot. If the child defends his/her choice gracefully and articulately, that reflects well on both; if the child cannot, then the child needs to learn some more on how to handle awkward situations.

Heck, we can apply a lot of that to adults, too.

If one is going to bend "rules" or poke a stick in society's eye, one should be prepared to state why and defend one's position -- and able to do so in a diplomatic manner.

[denimini]

Brighton is catering for transgender kids and that is good because it is more than just a clothing preference for them. That is all the College is doing and not pretending to do anything else. I agree they should allow a choice of skirts or pants for all students but skirts on males will need to be a lot more common before schools adapt it in their uniform policy. I think many boys would take the skirt option if offered but not enough are making a stand to get that to happen.
Years ago, when I was a boy, a friend of mine was sent home because his hair was too long. His parents supported him and ended up having to enrol him in another school that would accept his long, wavy, blond hair. A journalist got hold of the story and it was in the papers, soon after that, no school accepted him and he was destined to home schooling. Numbers count.
There are arguments for and against uniforms and I am not totally against. I spent a year at a college that had a choice of a grey or a brown suit, it was male only so skirts weren't seen at all - it was a very brown year for me. From there I went to another college that advised that pupils wore clothing appropriate to the course they were doing; plumbing students and mechanical engineers wore overalls, law students and business students wore suits and us art students wore what ever we liked. That seemed to make sense and most were happy.

[mugman]

'Kilts backfiring'?' not a pretty sight! No, I did say kilt-skirts for the TG lads, and kilts for the rest - if they feel like it. That way there's a genuine transitional gender accommodation without it all being quite so spectacular. They don't even have to be deathly black. A specially designed school tartan might be good. But I do agree with denimini that before skirts become anywhere close to being ordinary wear for males, schools aren't going to go down that road because of cross dressing issues. Not that wearing a skirt is, on it's own, cross dressing - we all know that - but that's unfortunately what's suspected of it. Kilts you can't argue with - definitely male!!!!

[dillon]

I like the idea of school uniforms, because it reduces somewhat the trappings of social classes and cliques. What I don't like is using uniforms to enforce gender distinctions. Brighton did not eliminate gender distinctions with their policy; in fact they reinforced those distinctions by reforming the dress code ONLY for self-pronounced trans- students. Just let kids be as they view themselves. Brighton doesn't need to label and categorize their students. None of us fit neatly into any particular cubbyhole, and neither will those kids. With all due appreciation for Brighton's willingness to recognize the existence of gender issues, they must surely understand that it is a gradient, and not a binary code, yes/no, M/F, black/white issue. They just chose a rather ham-handed way of handling it, IMHO.