Problems in Ohio

[Graham]

It seems that a local school district has a dress code that prohibits girls from wearing skirts that reveal higher that where the arm falls naturally to the side, so mid thigh. Boys, on the other hand are permitted to wear shorts, but after a certain point in the year. The school officials have not been enforcing the girls half of the dress code, but the boys were still not able to wear shorts. The boys, as a protest, wore kilts to school. Hey, I say whatever gets them into a kilt is a good thing. But they were, in fact, sent home for inappropriate dress.

Let me try and understand the situation.

The girls are getting away with wearing skirts even shorter than the allowable length, and the boys want to wear shorts, but were not allowed, so they wore kilts instead.
Is that about it?

Is your concern that the girls skirts are too short, or that the boys can't wear shorts, or that the boys are not allowed to wear kilts?

Our school has a uniform, I believe in uniforms, they prevent, if nothing else, a whole swag of rediculous fashions at school and problems associated with that.

I think a school has the right to enforce a dress code provided it is reasonable and acceptable to the majority of board members and parents.
Our school is a private school, small and easy to manage so it may be different.

I think our school would allow a kilt if it fitted in with school colours, but these lads you speak of just seem to be protesting rather than expressing a real desire to be kilted.

Let me know if I have it wrong.

[zeytoun]

It seems to me the school has a dress code, not a uniform.
It's important to know the "reason" why the school feels the kilt is inappropriate. Would they have sent the boys home any time of the year? or just during the time of the year when shorts are restricted. If it is because they think the kilt is a female garment, 1, are girls allowed to wear pants? and 2, it's a male garment. Is it because they show your legs, if so, you can make a point for sexual discrimination for both restricting shorts during certain times of the year and not allowing kilts. If it's because they are kilts, make a point for cultural discrimination.

[bikercelt1]

Tobie, It's important to know whether this is a fight for the right to wear a kilt or the kilt is just being used to create a disturbance for some other cause. Based on your original post it sounds like these boys USED the kilt to create civil disobedience for some other cause. I suspect that many of us on this board are more than willing to support a genuine battle for kilt wearing but don't want to get involved with an adolescent branch of "Act Up" style anarchy.

Jamie

[Casey]

Tobie,

Beware! Things are not always as they appear.

Casey

[bear]

It doesn't matter why they wore the kilts. They were sent home for wearing a kilt.
If a girl was sent home for wearing pants, would there be women in pants questioning the reason the girls wore the pants? No. There would be a friggin' riot!
How many time have we heard a story silimar to these boys' story?
No kilts at work!
No kilts at school!
Is there a good reason to dictate only half a population's garb?
This anti-men sentiment going on in our culture has got to be stopped on all fronts. Clothing is an important front.

[zeytoun]

hear hear

[Xcop]

Aloha to all,

I am new here, but feel compelled to voice my opinion. I agree with Blu in almost every way. I do however feel that it does not matter whether the garment was a kilt or a skirt, as long as it was worn in a respectable manner. Its a matter of equality.
The other point I would like to make is that there are some distinct differences of opinion as to what the word equality means, as we cross from the US into Canada. Being a Canadian living in the US I see it daily. Its not necessarily good or bad, just a difference of opinion.

Xcop
David

[Graham]

Hi David, welcome to the board, I think you're the first from Hawaii, you must have some interesting stories to tell. Are there many who wear kilts on your island? How did you come to like kilts?

We have a forum called "kilt board newbie" for such introductions - if you are inclined.

I hope you'll enjoy the board, anything you want to know - just ask, no question is considered silly here

[Donnie]

I think the biggest reason men are still descriminated against is the fact that we don't make enough noise about it! The squeeky wheel gets the greese! We are too willing to just let things go. There need to be more like our good friend Bear out there! We need to stand up and be heard! :x

[Graham]

How are we discriminated against? I'm very cautious about the use of that word since it's used and abused by every minority group around to get what they want.

May I suggest a trip to India, Nepal or any fundamental Islamic country to see real discrimination at work, as I have done.

Now let me calm down and say that there is NO ONE stopping me from wearing a kilt if I want to. There are workshops that have safety dress codes that I cannot enter kilted, it's my choice to go in there or not.
There are employers who would be unhappy to have me work for them kilted, I don't have to work for them - my choice.

There may be schools that also have dress codes that don't allow kilts, our kids don't have to attend that school.
My kids go to a private Christian school, I'm sure that if my son wanted to go in a kilt the school would allow it, but if not, and if wearing a kilt outweighed any other issue for him then he could move to another school.

My point is, here at least, we have choice.

I see no reason to go on a crusade about kiltwearing. If we can raise awareness of the joys of wearing the kilt - great.

There are too many pressure groups in society already who just want to make a noise, quite frankly, I think there are bigger issues in life: the homeless, the unemployed, the abused, the drug addicts ...etc etc.

I guess what I'm suggesting is that the issue is kept in perspective.
My two penneth worth!