Brighton College

General discussion of skirt and kilt-based fashion for men, and stuff that goes with skirts and kilts.
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mugman
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Brighton College

Post by mugman »

Have just caught a news report on TV that Brighton College, England, has upgraded their uniform policy and introduced a skirt wearing allowance for those teenage lads who are unsure of their gender leanings.
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Re: Brighton College

Post by crfriend »

mugman wrote:[...] for those teenage lads who are unsure of their gender leanings.
And in doing so are scaring off the straight lads who might want something a bit more comfortable than trousers for the summer seasons.

For all the bluster, it seems that straight guys may be amongst the most timid species on the planet. Even the tiniest whiff of a threat to their masculinity and they run for the hills. Sad... Then again, if one takes what one reads in the popular press at face value, the "straight male" might well be an endangered species, so perhaps the option of flight is a good one -- the question becomes, "To where?"
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Re: Brighton College

Post by mugman »

I couldn't agree more. I was about to email the college with my thoughts on this.
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Re: Brighton College

Post by renesm1 »

That's strange, many women wear trousers without being worried about their "gender leanings"! Don't they know that some men identify as men and just want to wear skirts???
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Re: Brighton College

Post by mugman »

Have just emailed the college:

Dear Sir,

News of your college's change in uniform code allowing males to wear skirts if they are aware of transgender feelings, and which I sympathise with totally, does however overlook the fact that some pupils, male or female, would actually prefer to wear skirts anyway irrespective of their gender. Why should they therefore be automatically pigeon-holed as being of transgender makeup? I am a 'straight' male, and feel that the use of skirts, or trousers, should be a standard choice of uniforms these days, and whatever choice is made can only healthily enhance the wearer's feeling of wellbeing.


Hastily drafted, but near enough to what I was thinking.
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Re: Brighton College

Post by johnb »

mugman wrote:Have just emailed the college:

Dear Sir,

News of your college's change in uniform code allowing males to wear skirts if they are aware of transgender feelings, and which I sympathise with totally, does however overlook the fact that some pupils, male or female, would actually prefer to wear skirts anyway irrespective of their gender. Why should they therefore be automatically pigeon-holed as being of transgender makeup? I am a 'straight' male, and feel that the use of skirts, or trousers, should be a standard choice of uniforms these days, and whatever choice is made can only healthily enhance the wearer's feeling of wellbeing.


Hastily drafted, but near enough to what I was thinking.
I reckon you have done a good job with the wording of your email.

John
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Re: Brighton College

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mugman wrote:Hastily drafted, but near enough to what I was thinking.
That's actually quite nicely done, sir. It'll be interesting to see if anything comes of it.

Schools -- especially at the university level -- are likely where the first big breaks may originate, if the "message" is attractive enough to average guys.
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Re: Brighton College

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Amen. Changing the dress code is laudable, but prejudging the motives is symptomatic of stodgy old gents trying to move an institution into the realm of political correctness when they cant even grasp what they are doing. Indeed, is is political correctness done like an "extra credit" homework, done only to whitewash their image. If they actually believed in gender equity, they would just change the dress code without trying to claim some undeserved credit for doing the right thing. This is more of a backdoor blockade, by making the presumption that any male choosing a skirt is, and gets labelled as genderqueer.
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Re: Brighton College

Post by mugman »

crfriend said:
It'll be interesting to see if anything comes of it.
I shouldn't think so for a minute. The fact that they've shot themselves in the foot and linked skirt-wearing-males only with transgender situations has screwed it all up. Again. Then it becomes over complicated to have to educate non-believers of the parent/teacher brigade that skirts are just a material product which anyone should be able to use. If I do get a reply (though doubtful) I'll of course let you know.
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Re: Brighton College

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mugman wrote:Have just caught a news report on TV that Brighton College, England, has upgraded their uniform policy and introduced a skirt wearing allowance for those teenage lads who are unsure of their gender leanings.
Are you sure the new policy applies only to those lads who declare themselves unsure of gender leanings?

Or does the new policy apply to everyone, even though the initial reason was to accommodate those unsure of gender?
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Re: Brighton College

Post by mugman »

The reason of male skirt adoption appears to be solely for the benefit of, at the moment, one pupil:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ed ... upils.html

The wording lower down in the write-up, however, does become a little vaguer, but infers that parental support is necessary, and a letter presented to the head. Not exactly real freedom of choice by the user.
Last edited by mugman on Thu Jan 21, 2016 5:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Brighton College

Post by pelmut »

Caultron wrote:Or does the new policy apply to everyone, even though the initial reason was to accommodate those unsure of gender?
Independent school Brighton College has scrapped its traditional uniform rules to accommodate transgender pupils.

The school is introducing a "trouser uniform" and a "skirt uniform" that can be worn by pupils up to age 16, regardless of their biological gender.

At least one person with gender dysphoria has taken up the option, according to the college.

Head Richard Cairns said the change to its 170-year-old code followed requests from a "small number of families".

"It ties in with my strong personal belief that youngsters should be respected for who they are," he added.
'Welfare and happiness'

"If some boys and girls are happier identifying with a different gender from that in which they were born, then my job is to make sure that we accommodate that.

"My only interest as headmaster is their welfare and happiness."

Mr Cairns said whereas most schools gave transgender pupils "personal leeway with uniform" he wanted to "abolish the notion of boys' and girls' schools altogether".

"Traditional uniform will be worn but the type of uniform will be a matter for the individual boy or girl, always assuming parental support."

Fred Dimbleby, a sixth-form pupil at the college, said the change had support across the school and gave Brighton College a "real sense of unity".

"I think it would be great if all schools took up this idea. Secondary school is such a formative period for people so it's important to encourage people to be who they are and who they want to be."

Brighton College teaches up to 900 pupils aged between 11 and 18.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-35362368

It appears to be open to everyone, but has only been taken up by transgender pupils at the moment. I don't think cicsgender boys will be put off trying out skirts just because transgender pupils happened to wear them first, many UK educational establishments now explain trans issues to students and there is very little stigma attached to the condition by that generation. (I recently overheard my nieces teenage son correcting his father's confusion of sex with gender.)
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Re: Brighton College

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This, of course, raises the question of whether a boy who wants to wear a skirt is 100% gender dysphoric.

I say no, he's not, possibly some much smaller fraction. And some (potentially) skirt-wearing boys might not be gender dysphoric at all, wanting to wear skirts because of style or comfort rather than wanting to act as girls.

Having to wear the entire girl's uniform is kind of a bummer but school uniform codes can be pretty rigid.
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Re: Brighton College

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dillon wrote:Amen. Changing the dress code is laudable, but prejudging the motives is symptomatic of stodgy old gents trying to move an institution into the realm of political correctness when they cant even grasp what they are doing. Indeed, is is political correctness done like an "extra credit" homework, done only to whitewash their image. If they actually believed in gender equity, they would just change the dress code without trying to claim some undeserved credit for doing the right thing. This is more of a backdoor blockade, by making the presumption that any male choosing a skirt is, and gets labelled as genderqueer.
Very well put. It was done solely for the confused "transgenders".

Also being discussed over at mumsnet-
http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_righ ... se-uniform
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Re: Brighton College

Post by pelmut »

dillon wrote:... is political correctness done like an "extra credit" homework, done only to whitewash their image. If they actually believed in gender equity, they would just change the dress code without trying to claim some undeserved credit for doing the right thing.
Are you sure the school was quoted accurately or was this a misguided 'explanation' made up by a reporter? My understanding is that the school is very pro-active in educating pupils, parents and staff on transgender and other types of gender issues.
pleated wrote:Very well put. It was done solely for the confused "transgenders".
Transgender children are very rarely confused, they know exactly who and what they are. It is the adults clinging to blatantly wrong traditional beliefs who become confused and angry when confronted with a child who obstinately insists on telling the truth.
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