A Foot In the Door?

[NewKilt]

Reggie,

Congratulations on a positive meeting with HR and the dress code board. I don't think you will have any problem with your immediate supervisor on this. I only wish that since the board thought your picture looked professional, they would have concluded that you should be able to wear a kilt anytime.

Darrell

[Frank]

Rigged summed up my earlier argument better than I did when he wrote :-

"If a kilt is only an expression of culture, then it's appropriate to limit it's wearing to cultural events. If a kilt is just any other form of men's clothing, then there cannot be any restrictions on wearing them other than safety."

If the law prevents gender specific workplace rules, then what's the issue ?
Corporate wear ? If companies have to provide a corporate slacks option for the women, then why not the reverse for kilt wearers ? Or is the concept of equality only ever to be applied in one direction.....

[Yaish]

I think a lot of you are missing the idea here. The company has the 'right' to choose their dress code, and make it any darn thing they want. Look at the uniforms for Hotdog On A Stick. We, as employees have the 'right' to find work elsewhere if we dont like the dress code.

Only when the dress code affects our right to observe our religious practices is an exemption allowed by law. (for example, you cant make a Sikh shave his beard or take off his turban) Title VII makes it illegal for employers to discriminate based on the standard race, religion, sex, color, or national origin. However gender based dress codes have frequently been upheld in court when they are challenged, provided the dress code is equitable and does not place a greater burden on one sex than the other.

So, this little victory was actually quite a big step. Congratulations, and well done.

[Iolaus]

Besides, the real concern here is for his future working environment; he could've won the whole battle, but ultimately lost the war by being labeled a trouble-maker. A compromise was the best solution; as he said, "a foot in the door."

[bubba]

I think it's a fine compromise. Over time if they see no problems arise from it he may be allowed to wear kilts more often, such as casual Fridays, without going through another dog and pony show. Both sides remained reasonable, a win/win deal.

[ronstew]

Bubba, I am chuckling at your last post (which I agree with) and how it compares with your sig line.

[macwilkin]

Reggie,

Sorry, just realized - One of the days you put down to wear the kilt JUST HAS

to be the anniversary of the day the English forbid the Scots to wear their kilts/tartans.

Don't your bosses know they are recreating your cultural trauma? Would be like if an employer out here forbid Navajos from speaking their language or wearing their traditional garb....which a mom and pop restaurant did a couple years ago and they're still wrangling with the EEOC folks from Washington D.C.

Anyhow, maybe some of the expert historians we have on the board can provide you with the date the English forbid the Scots to wear their tartans. That's gotta be on your list!

Ron

Ron -- just a historical clarification -- the Act of Proscription forbade the wearing of tartan and kilts in the Highlands ONLY after the Jacobite Rebellion -- remember that during this period, Lowlanders did not, for the most part, wear Highland garb, and tartan was only worn in the Lowlands as a show of support for the Jacobites. The kilt & tartan did not become a "national" symbol until later.

The date: 1 August.

Regards,

Todd

[macwilkin]

It's good that Reggie gets to wear his kilts to work on some occassions. This solution however points out the problem of couching kilt-wearing as a cultural rather than a rights issue.

If a kilt is only an expression of culture, then it's appropriate to limit it's wearing to cultural events. If a kilt is just any other form of men's clothing, then there cannot be any restrictions on wearing them other than safety.

Rigged,

I'm not sure I understand your use of the term "couching" in this post -- I do hope you are not referring to those of us who wear our kilts as symbols of our heritage here -- for those of us who do, the kilt is a cultural issue, and I would point out, does not necessarily limit wearing to "cultural events" -- my employer is aware of my kilt wearing as a symbol of my cultural heritage, and I have never been told that I could only wear my kilt on "cultural days".

I do hope I misunderstood you. I personally never want the kilt to become "just another form of men's clothing", because of what it stands for for me.

Regards,

Todd

[Reggie]

Thanks so much everyone for the information on the best days to wear a kilt in celebration of Scottish heritage. I now have plenty of days to allow me to wear the kilt, but I'll start out slow, probably once every two months for awhile, see how it goes, then ramp it up.
I agree that it is totally unfair, and even absurd, to have to ask permission to wear a mans garment. Absolutely! My intent at starting off with an apology was to appear humble, and lessen any perception of threat. I took my wifes suggestion to project the innocence of lamb to heart here (forget the cunning of ten foxes. I'm lucky if I can summon the wits of a small muskrat). Even though, inside, I was fairly seething with contempt. Trying to open a closed mind is very much like brain surgery. Better to make small opening and inject what can be tolerated, than to bash it open with a sledge hammer and lose any chance for recovery afterwards.
Life is full of compromise. Even though I live in the country, I'm only 1.9 miles away from my work! I'm also overpaid. Really. Sounds odd for someone to say that doesn't it? I make a good living, and this company retrained me in my profession after being gone for two years in the military, when no-one else wanted anything to do with me. So I feel alot of loyalty to this company, and gratefulness. My life is blessed in a countless number of ways. I really don't want to move, or drive any longer distance to work, and I love the people I work with. The point being, how far do I really want to push my principles? I guess as far as I need to in order to maintain my self respect. We all have our own personal code that we live by. I couldn't keep my self respect without at least facing the issue, and trying to gain a foothold. That's about as far as I was willing to risk my living conditions. Do I want the kilt, or the job? And who else is going to unwillingly and helplessly suffer because I decided I want to stand on a principle, no matter how right I know I am? I can keep the job, and still achieve my goal of "kilt freedom" by setting my course on another tack, and surviving to fight another day. There have been times when I have stood up on a principle, wishing later on, that I had sat down on my own stool. It's a funny world we live in.
I'm happy to have won this small victory (without everyones help I don't think I would have). As my wife mentioned,
"If you're going to conquer the mountain, you gotta start out with a freakin' toe hold."
As an aside, I do plan to educate myself more on Scottish history, and read the book "Who Moved My Cheese?". I'm enrolled at the University and will be graduating next December, so I'm already doing alot of study and reading. Imagine, a college degree at, let's see, sheesh, I'll be 57! It's a funny world indeed! You can bet that I'll be wearing cap and gown...and kilt.

Highest regards and a thousand thanks to all!

Reggie

I am only wounded
I am not slain
I'll just lie here and bleed awhile
Then rise up and fight again

[davedove]

Remember, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step."