Skirts in Schools - No hope for boys

[jamie001]

Many women tend to reenforce the views of the patriarchy. It is harmful to them and their children.

[timemeddler]

Is it just me or are women the worst one's when it comes to being against men's skirts. The only time I had a man complain was because someone else put him up to it, all the other types of resistance came from women, men just seem to see it as weird but are relatively indifferent on the matter.

[Coder]

Is it just me or are women the worst one's when it comes to being against men's skirts. The only time I had a man complain was because someone else put him up to it, all the other types of resistance came from women, men just seem to see it as weird but are relatively indifferent on the matter.

I can’t say, haven’t been judged openly by either men or women, but I suspect I’d get more flack from the men. Family…

[Barleymower]

A lot of sense being spoken by Mr seamstress, Jamie, timemeddler and coder.

I would slightly disagree that it's not what women are teaching their children. It's what men and women are teaching their children.

I think its more noticeable when women are outspoken in this manner. I somehow expect them to be reasonable, think it through and come around to my way of thinking. but they don't! How they can stand there and demand equality and then refuse equality in return beats me. Like them giving equality is some kind of ridiculous suggestion.

When I was a child I accidently walked in on my mum dancing around in her new underwear. She was so embarrassed. Yet she would be the first to say "call yourself a man?" Looking back now I would have said that's not and never will be your decision.

Are women more judgemental than men? That's difficult. I think I would rather be in a group of women in a skirt than alone in a group of men. However, give a man time and he will accept you. Women will never change their mind once they've decided.

[Spirou003]

I just made a comparison exercise on my side. Let's take the four closest people (of each sex) I've had the last year around me, making eight people. I can't extend the sample, however, due to lack of people around me (I can find males at work, but no female at all).
In the male's side: brother is against and almost insulting when it comes to me in a skirt, father was like "I don't want to be seen with you wearing a skirt" (but not saying it openly), and the two friends were like "no problem" but I felt they were very embarrassed with the idea.
In the female's side (all friends): one did not comment at all, one was like "that's strange, what an idea. I don't understand why you like it. You're the only one I know", one is like "I'll happily support you", and the latter initially told "I don't want to be seen with you in a skirt" before to change her mind and become supportive(but I now highly doubt it was a genuine change of mind).
I will say, not any side is better than the other, especially knowing that my brother talk "unfiltered" as opposite to lots of people. His filtered version would probably be like "you do what you want, but don't try to take me with you". So, are women worse than men when it comes to me in a skirt? I actually don't have noticed any significant difference between both groups, I mean, without limiting to these eight people.

As for looking less threatening, I would say it works with both sides. Especially when I remember about the time a man I never seen before, with tattoos, scar on his face, piercings, etc., well the threatening man you wouldn't approach, went to me and started to kindly chat with me "just for that" and not to get anything back from me.

[Barleymower]

I just made a comparison exercise on my side. Let's take the four closest people (of each sex) I've had the last year around me, making eight people. I can't extend the sample, however, due to lack of people around me (I can find males at work, but no female at all).
In the male's side: brother is against and almost insulting when it comes to me in a skirt, father was like "I don't want to be seen with you wearing a skirt" (but not saying it openly), and the two friends were like "no problem" but I felt they were very embarrassed with the idea.
In the female's side (all friends): one did not comment at all, one was like "that's strange, what an idea. I don't understand why you like it. You're the only one I know", one is like "I'll happily support you", and the latter initially told "I don't want to be seen with you in a skirt" before to change her mind and become supportive(but I now highly doubt it was a genuine change of mind).
I will say, not any side is better than the other, especially knowing that my brother talk "unfiltered" as opposite to lots of people. His filtered version would probably be like "you do what you want, but don't try to take me with you". So, are women worse than men when it comes to me in a skirt? I actually don't have noticed any significant difference between both groups, I mean, without limiting to these eight people.

As for looking less threatening, I would say it works with both sides. Especially when I remember about the time a man I never seen before, with tattoos, scar on his face, piercings, etc., well the threatening man you wouldn't approach, went to me and started to kindly chat with me "just for that" and not to get anything back from me.

Spirou003 I have had similar results:
1. Wife initially very concerned but now 100% supportive.
2. Daughter 100% supportive from the off but has issues with being seen together sometimes due to roadmen at school.
3. Son 1 doesn't care but won't be wearing one himself.
4. Son 2 now also wears skirts and is trying on gay for size.
5. Neighbour one, male, sniggered and said "nice dress"
6. Neighbour two, male, acts like theres nothing to see. Carrys on as normal.
7. Neighbour three, female, said my skirt looked nice. What's next?
8. Neighbour four, female, said each to their own. It's fine.
9. Neighbour five, female, asked my wife if I liked kinky stuff.
10. Neighbour six. Female, Very supportive.

[Stu]

I spent several hours at the home of a relative of my wife who had died. The relative had been a school governor for a secondary school for many years and his wife asked me if I would be willing to apply for her late husband's post as governor which, she assured me, doesn't take up too much time. I said I would think about it - but I'm not interested for several reasons. To entice me, she shoved in front of me her husband's box of files relating to what he did and, having nothing better to do, I perused the minutes of the governors' meetings. Some of the content shocked me - like when one child had been found bringing a zombie knife into school, a 13 year-old student was having to manage her schoolwork while caring for her baby and a teacher being arrested for drunk driving one morning on his way to work! Yikes!! Occasionally, uniform was mentioned and this became a bit of an ongoing issue. Unauthorised footwear seemed the most prevalent problem followed by the length of girls' skirts. One thing which did catch my eye was when one governor raised the question as to whether, as girls could now wear trousers, boys could wear skirts if they wished. Another governor (female) asked why a boy would want to wear a skirt. The Deputy Head said that hadn't ever happened at her school, but she was aware of it happening at other schools and it wasn't a problem when it did occur. Someone (I can't remember whom) mentioned a private school in Brighton which specifically told students that they could choose between two uniform styles - Uniform A or Uniform B. The former was clearly the boys' style and the latter was the girls' style - with a skirt and white knee socks in summer / black tights in winter - and students would make a choice between A or B regardless of gender, but the students would be expected to be "consistent in their presentation" if they chose Option B. I presume that means this policy was designed with M-to-F trans students in mind and nothing to do with giving boys a corresponding choice to that which girls enjoyed. If a boy at the Brighton school opted for Uniform B, then he would be expected to present consistently in a feminine way - i.e. as a girl. How many non-trans boys would be happy with that? How many male skirt devotees on here would have agreed to that when they were at school? None, I'd wager. It seems grossly unfair.

[crfriend]

The level of hypocrisy in schools has always startled me -- for the simple reason that we should NOT be teaching children, by example, of what hypocrisy is. We should be trying to dissuade them from it.

But, the status-quo is more important than anything else, so that's what gets beaten into the little ones -- sometimes literally. It's all rather sad.

[Mouse]

The relative had been a school governor for a secondary school for many years and his wife asked me if I would be willing to apply for her late husband's post as governor which, she assured me, doesn't take up too much time. I said I would think about it - but I'm not interested for several reasons.

I am not sure what your reasons are, but a standard school has all of the above. As a governor you have a voice to affect the ethos of the school.

I am a governor and the uniform request we got to consider was "could the girls be allowed to wear shorts as the boys were in hot weather?" my comment which was followed, was to take out any mention of gender in the policy and simply have a list of acceptable items to choose from. Of course this change then allowed shorts for anyone and skirts for anyone. I attend governor meetings in a skirt and sometimes in heels as well.

[Stu]

I am not sure what your reasons are, but a standard school has all of the above. As a governor you have a voice to affect the ethos of the school.

I am a governor and the uniform request we got to consider was "could the girls be allowed to wear shorts as the boys were in hot weather?" my comment which was followed, was to take out any mention of gender in the policy and simply have a list of acceptable items to choose from. Of course this change then allowed shorts for anyone and skirts for anyone. I attend governor meetings in a skirt and sometimes in heels as well.

I just don't have the time, to be honest.

You say "skirts for anyone" and I am sure your school wouldn't prevent boys from wearing them. I wonder if any do but I guess they don't and that's for a number of reasons - one being that they fear being humiliated and bullied. Schools claim they would allow boys to wear skirts only because they know none will because they fear the social consequences.

[Mouse]

I am not sure what your reasons are, but a standard school has all of the above. As a governor you have a voice to affect the ethos of the school.

I am a governor and the uniform request we got to consider was "could the girls be allowed to wear shorts as the boys were in hot weather?" my comment which was followed, was to take out any mention of gender in the policy and simply have a list of acceptable items to choose from. Of course this change then allowed shorts for anyone and skirts for anyone. I attend governor meetings in a skirt and sometimes in heels as well.

I just don't have the time, to be honest.

You say "skirts for anyone" and I am sure your school wouldn't prevent boys from wearing them. I wonder if any do but I guess they don't and that's for a number of reasons - one being that they fear being humiliated and bullied. Schools claim they would allow boys to wear skirts only because they know none will because they fear the social consequences.

Being a governor does require time as I well know.

I think part of what we are doing in the world is to first remove the presumption that males do not get access to skirts in school and company uniform policies. The second is to encourage other males to follow our lead in actually wearing skirts. I as a man, visit the school in a skirt, so I may start a seed in some young mind that a man in a skirt is a thing.

[Stu]

The second is to encourage other males to follow our lead in actually wearing skirts. I as a man, visit the school in a skirt, so I may start a seed in some young mind that a man in a skirt is a thing.

I hope you do. Keep us informed if you see a trend developing.

[jamie001]

There can never be any hope for boys because boys will police each other.

[crfriend]

There can never be any hope for boys because boys will police each other.

Well, if the various "administrations" would actually do their damned jobs and finally suppress bullying behaviours in the population of pupils there'd be a heck of a lot less trouble. Unfortunately, they won't because the bullying actually bolsters their own obsolete views of why things work.

Yes, it's deeply screwed up. It's like living in The Lord of the Flies.

[Spirou003]

Not really possible, I'm afraid. There are so much kids compared to the school staff, that it is simply impossible to check everywhere. Kids will always find a place to hide from view to commit their misdeeds. And eventually, that "somewhere" can be out of school. A school can be as strict as it wants, it will never be guaranteed to avoid the bullies... even inside school.