Dress code rules create double standards
by Julian Armenta
Boys and girls are often raised differently. Young women in high school deal with a variety of societal challenges including restrictive dress codes. If young girls stop wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts that are "way too short,'' will it stop the perverted cat calls from men? Will wearing a piece of fabric get in the way of their education?
Heat v. Dress Code
Tucson temperatures are high and uncomfortable. Finding the right outfit to wear to school can be difficult. High school girls are not allowed to wear spaghetti straps or shorts. Even when the high temperature is 102° girls still have to wear a hoodie to cover their spaghetti straps or shoulders.
Young women and men take action
Young women and allies come together and wear sleeveless shirts to show that the female body is not a distraction. Young women want to learn while they are comfortable just like boys, and school officials should just let them be confident in their dress.
Student handbooks urge girls to be leaders, to be confident in themselves. We need to allow girls and young women to be themselves without considering their bodies a distraction.
Heat v. Dress Code
Tucson temperatures are high and uncomfortable. Finding the right outfit to wear to school can be difficult. High school girls are not allowed to wear spaghetti straps or shorts. Even when the high temperature is 102° girls still have to wear a hoodie to cover their spaghetti straps or shoulders.
Young women and men take action
Young women and allies come together and wear sleeveless shirts to show that the female body is not a distraction. Young women want to learn while they are comfortable just like boys, and school officials should just let them be confident in their dress.
Student handbooks urge girls to be leaders, to be confident in themselves. We need to allow girls and young women to be themselves without considering their bodies a distraction.
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Differences between dress codes in Tucson-area school districts
When researching each school district in Tucson, I collected copies of student handbooks for City High School, Flowing Wells School District, Amphitheater School District, Sunnyside School District and Tucson Unified School District.
City High School has a more lenient dress code while Tucson Unified School District’s code is stricter. TUSD's policy does not want students to wear clothing that distracts other students.
Two ways we can make a stand for high school girls
When researching each school district in Tucson, I collected copies of student handbooks for City High School, Flowing Wells School District, Amphitheater School District, Sunnyside School District and Tucson Unified School District.
City High School has a more lenient dress code while Tucson Unified School District’s code is stricter. TUSD's policy does not want students to wear clothing that distracts other students.
Two ways we can make a stand for high school girls
- Bring young women and supporters together to organize a youth empowerment movement about dress code, to counter blaming women for showing skin.
- Host a walkout at your school; inform the governing board why the walkout is occurring and why it is important for us to make change. Wear a shirt with a message, create posters related to the walkout.