Critical Resource Response #1: Izzy

466 Words

The school dress code for girls has been around for quite some time and it is very sexist toward female bodies. In the article I chose for my advocate issue, Li Zhou a writer for the Atlantic news website, explains how the dress code targets girls' bodies and the dress code is in place to create a better learning environment so boys will not be “distracted”. In this essay I will argue that the dress code is very sexist, ruins girl's confidence and body shames them, and targets transgender or LGBTQ students for the clothes they wear.

The school dress code is in place mainly for girls at public and other schools but can be very sexist in the sense that boys do not have to abide by the same rules. In the article the author gets real insight on this occurring issue from a middle school student “Girls were disciplined disproportionately, she says, a trend she's seen continue over the years” (Li Zhou). Boys do not have to follow the same guidelines as the girls do at schools. Males and females are treated very differently on this issue and girls are discriminated against because of their bodies.

These dress codes can not only ruin a girl's confidence but also body shames them into thinking they are promoting sexual harassment. The author emphasizes that schools make young girls feel like they are the problem “Documented cases show female students being chastised by school officials, sent home, or barred from attending events like prom” (Li Zhou). By having all these consequences for not following the rules, this makes girls feel like it is their fault, and they should know better. By having authority figures constantly punishing girls on their outfits, it gives boys the idea that they can which then promotes sexual harassment.

Schools also target transgender or LGBTQ students for not following these rules and not letting them wear something that makes them feel comfortable and expressing themselves. This shows a big part of sexism and gender identity “Transgender students have been sent home for wearing clothes different than what’s expected of their legal sex, while others have been excluded from yearbooks” (Li Zhou). These students feel that they need to express themselves because it makes them feel comfortable. Wearing certain clothes helps transgender and LGBTQ students feel like themselves and the schools are taking that right away from them.

In conclusion, the school dress code targets females for wearing certain things that may hinder learning in classrooms. This issue has been going on for a long time and makes females at a young age believe they are the problem, and they promote sexual harassment. This is such a big issue, and it is important for girls and other students to understand this is not right.