Regarding the anon asking about school dress code:
“In my senior year of high school, we were able to have the dress code (regarding fingertip-length shorts and any length tights) amended to knuckle-length shorts and tights being allowed with knuckle-length tops.
(General disclaimer: your situation may be different, depending on both the climate and culture of your school/community. I’m from a lax beach town in Hawaii)
The problem began when administrators, who normally pay little attention to dress code, were pushed to enforce it at the start of the school year in July. Here were some key responses that helped change the dress code:
'Thirsty Thursdays' - intentionally disobeying dress code and backing up the office with violations, (mostly drew student awareness / support)
Requests for meetings - persistent requests after AND DURING class time
Discussions with principal - compelling, logical arguments with small group of well-known and reliable students (your reasoning will vary but our key point was the year-round 60-90 F temp.)
Factual arguments - we researched climate, women’s clothing, and past changes to school code
approach classmates and admin differently (thirsty thursdays v private meetings); bad publicity can have bad effects
don’t affiliate the cause with anyone incapable of handling personal choice - that’s what you’re fighting for
play by their rules as much as possible; they’re waiting for you to fall into ‘slutty immature teen girl’ archetype
similarly, treat admin as listening ears, not roadblocks
do not invoke an ‘us v them’ attitude; it won’t help anyone reach change OR compromise
we did not invoke feminist reasoning because 1) it may revoke student support in this macho environment 2) it may transform the issue into a symbolic struggle of adults v entitled ‘slutty immature teenage girls’ 3) the goal of female freedom of dress speaks for itself (as subtly and effectively as the school’s prior denial of that choice)
Sorry this ask is so long. I’m just putting everything out there because you never know what might be useful.”
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