Treacher wore a dress to school

[mr seamstress]

A school teacher wore a dress to school, end up in resigning. Read the story.

https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/lewi ... l-resigns/

[Stu]

I think the issue here isn't so much that he wore a dress to school, but rather the entirety of his behaviour aimed at drawing attention to himself with flamboyant costumes over a period. That's a distraction schools generally don't like. I think the school should not have suspended him, but rather told him he could wear dresses to school, but he must maintain a professional appearance. A simple shift dress in a sober colour with matching court shoes would still have attracted comments, but he could have ridden those out and within a day or two the novelty would have worn off.

[Barleymower]

What a load of bigoted rubbish.

[mr seamstress]

I think the issue here isn't so much that he wore a dress to school, but rather the entirety of his behaviour aimed at drawing attention to himself with flamboyant costumes over a period. That's a distraction schools generally don't like. I think the school should not have suspended him, but rather told him he could wear dresses to school, but he must maintain a professional appearance. A simple shift dress in a sober colour with matching court shoes would still have attracted comments, but he could have ridden those out and within a day or two the novelty would have worn off.

I think you miss a few points about the article. It was a dress up day, meaning any attire is suitable as long it doesn't break dress code. No matter which dress he wore the outcome will be the same. I had a person came in my face and was demanding I should disrobe because he didn't like what I was wearing. This person would still demand I disrobe if I was wearing a kilt.
The Governor of State of Texas also hated him and despise him for wearing a dress. These pupils are getting punish because they lost a great teacher and have a teacher not as great as the one that has resign.
Because of hate he remove himself and noted this hate made it impossible to do his job. School didn't remove him.

[crfriend]

The Taleban in action. We need to get serious about that cancer as a society -- and fast.

[JohnH]

If anybody told me to disrobe because (s)he didn't like what I was wearing, that would trigger a sharp response expressed in a VERY loud drill sergeant voice from me.
Fortunately I have not had to resort to that tactic. My dresses are not flamboyant and my heeled shoes are mostly black.
I think it would really helpful for men wearing "feminine" garments to wear them as MEN with their masculine identities instead of pretending they are women. At crossdessers.com I use my real name of John, and in the signature block, I state my preferred pronouns of "he, him, and his".

John

[Coder]

I think it would really helpful for men wearing "feminine" garments to wear them as MEN with their masculine identities instead of pretending they are women.

I've been going to open knitting sessions a the local yarn shop - so far only women seem to go to these - but I too retain my masculine name and identity as I always have. I don't know what they think - my best guess if they probably think I'm non-binary, as what else would I be? I don't really care per-se - but I think these other identities hamper adoption of skirts by men*.


*No knocking the identities - just saying that their presence gives people an "out" to rationalize away MIS as "oh, he's a they, so it's OK for them to wear a skirt".

[moonshadow]

I think the school should not have suspended him, but rather told him he could wear dresses to school, but he must maintain a professional appearance

Then what's the point of even having "spirit day"?

Everyone should just wear navy blue jump suits... don't worry, we can let the virgin females wear their red sashes... as per the guidelines of "the party".

[Barleymower]

Is it any wonder why people act as they do?

I'm not teaching anyone to suck eggs here but there's one thing I learned from parenthood (its widely known) you don't need to be a parent to know this: You can tell children anything and they'll believe it. There's a very good reason for this. At 7 give or take a year, kids reach the "age of reason". Younger than that they have no capacity for rational thought.
So when we tell kids at 2,3, 4 and 5 that certain things are for boys and certain things for girls or tell a girl she looks a bit fat for example, they believe it and take it with them into adulthood.
This means that everyone complaining and getting worked up about the guy in a pink dress or anything else for that matter, were probably told as kids "it ain't right". Then they carry that for their whole lives and pass the same message to the next generation.

I'm starting to understand just how long it will take to change the collective thoughts of society towards MIS (or MI Pink Dresses).

[Mouse]

I am a governor at my local school and I attend in a skirt when I visit. In my defence, it has not been a pink skirt, but who knows in the future.

With uniform policy, shorts were not in the female section for acceptable uniform. In discussion, I put forward the idea that we just have a list of clothes that was acceptable uniform and take out any reference to male or female. The school now has a simple uniform policy that allows choice for all.

[STEVIE]

The example given happened in Texas and unless I am much mistaken, employment law is very different from the UK, which will vary across the world too.

The school now has a simple uniform policy that allows choice for all.

Well done Mouse for achieving that for the pupils, but they are not employees of the school or the local education authority.
Scots schools don't have governors so am I right that yours is an honorary/voluntary position?
I am asking this because, if any teacher wore any clothes which adversely affected their work, the employer could rule against it.
The exceptions being for transgendered individuals and specific religious habits.
Failure to comply could result in a finding of justifiable dismissal, legal, but fair?

This means that everyone complaining and getting worked up about the guy in a pink dress or anything else for that matter, were probably told as kids "it ain't right". Then they carry that for their whole lives and pass the same message to the next generation.

BM, they may not even have been actively "told" about what was actually forbidden.
The taboo messages around MIS and lots of gender challenges are subtle and insidious to the point that they are absorbed at a subliminal level.
The lack of wider revolt is testimony to the effectiveness of the brain washing we experience.
We comply and conform because we are taught that there is nothing for us to rebel against, unless, somehow, we find it for ourselves.
As for real positive improvement type change, somewhere around the 12th of Nevember is my best guess.
Steve.

[Barleymower]

BM, they may not even have been actively "told" about what was actually forbidden.
The taboo messages around MIS and lots of gender challenges are subtle and insidious to the point that they are absorbed at a subliminal level.
The lack of wider revolt is testimony to the effectiveness of the brain washing we experience.
We comply and conform because we are taught that there is nothing for us to rebel against, unless, somehow, we find it for ourselves.
As for real positive improvement type change, somewhere around the 12th of Nevember is my best guess.
Steve.

Bang on Steve. I try not to get worked up about it, it gets me nowhere and leaves me feeling bad.
I saw first hand in my life with my Mum and Dad. I would not have dared ro expose the real me so was a background participant in home life. My sister though was prepared to fight her corner. My mums raging got her (my mum) precisely nowhere and my sister joined the army at 16. My dad however never shouted. A well chosen laugh, joke, or look and things changed, boyfriends were sacked the following day. You can fight what isn't there.
That's why we have to get out there and bear the brunt. Nothing will change if we don't make it happen. Power to the people!
[/quote]

The school now has a simple uniform policy that allows choice for all.

Mouse you have achieved something out of reach to me. I was a governor at our school for a while but found the chair made all the decisions and I had no power to dispute her.

[Mouse]

Scots schools don't have governors so am I right that yours is an honorary/voluntary position?

Yes, the position is voluntary and un paid, However when I first started it was daunting how much control we had over the school. Now the school is part of a trust, our role has changed, but we still have input to some policies. I started at the Primary school when my son was 5 and I am still there while my son is now 26. At one time I have served as the chair, I now serve as an old fart who occasionally adds wise(or not) words to a discussion. Every time my term comes to an end, I have been partitioned by other members to stay for another term.

[STEVIE]

"Partitioned", are you a glutton for solitary punishment or are the parents just ultra persuasive?
In any voluntary role, many people are only too glad to let someone else do the needful
My wife runs a rainbow unit and lots of the parents see it as cheap childcare.
Not getting involved and assuming that the volunteers actually get paid.
Good for you, but I still wonder about a male teacher wearing a dress or skirt in any colour.
I have a feeling he would get flak from some parents and a different board of governors too.
Dangerous ground.
Steve.

[Mouse]

"Partitioned", are you a glutton for solitary punishment or are the parents just ultra persuasive?

I initially joined when my son started at the school to understand more from the inside what was driving the school. I live in a village so it is good to do some community work for the greater good and this is mine. I have another 18 months on my current term so we shall see.