Moorehouse why?!

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I was wondering if anyone heard about the dress code Moorehouse is instituting. There's the typical no baggy pants, doo rags and so on but as part of this list wearing Women's Clothing is banned.
Gah can you be so closeminded?! You educated MLK and you're being so intolerant here! X-( It's a piece of clothing you phobic people!

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Big Men on Campus

laika's picture

I've been following this for a couple of days. A CNN opinion(ated) piece talked all about how it would get the students to stop dressing like slobs, and represent the African American community with DIGNITY, while barely mentioning the "cross-dressing" part of the ban, as if nobody there would actually do such a thing, while transgender sites are claiming it's the whole reason behind the dress code- suppressing the increasingly out transgendered element on campus (who probably aren't slobs at all as they try to look their feminine best...)

One commenter at the FICTIONMANIA Message Board (which a lot of times is better than the stories!) posted a link to an interesting and well written & intelligent corollary piece from the Boston Globe on FtM transsexuals at women's colleges. It's worth looking at:

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2007/04/0...

~~~hugs, Laika

Transgeneration

The issue of ftm at an all women's college was handled in the documentary "Transgeneration" four years ago.

Angela Rasch (Jill M I)

Angela Rasch (Jill M I)

Angela

Did you read the Globe article? I thought it was well written and informative. I think it touched on some issues that were not in "Transgeneration", where 1 of 4 TSs was a transman at one of the wimyns colleges. Just because there is one media treatment of an issue, doesn't mean that the issue is resolved or dead. More information, well presented, should be welcomed.

Thanks, Laika. And don't be so embarrassed. You don't have to face her in person. 8)

Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee

Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee

Here is the CNN report

Here's a link to the CNN report on-line:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/17/college.dress.code/index.html

Here is the text:
"ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- An all-male college in Atlanta, Georgia, has banned the wearing of women's clothes, makeup, high heels and purses as part of a new crackdown on what the institution calls inappropriate attire.

No dress-wearing is part of a larger dress code launched this week that Morehouse College is calling its "Appropriate Attire Policy."

The policy also bans wearing hats in buildings, pajamas in public, do-rags, sagging pants, sunglasses in class and walking barefoot on campus.

However, it is the ban on cross-dressing that has brought national attention to the small historically African-American college.

The dress-wearing ban is aimed at a small part of the private college's 2,700-member student body, said Dr. William Bynum, vice president for Student Services.

"We are talking about five students who are living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way we do not expect in Morehouse men," he said.

Before the school released the policy, Bynum said, he met with Morehouse Safe Space, the campus' gay organization.

"We talked about it and then they took a vote," he said. "Of the 27 people in the room, only three were against it."

There has been a positive response along with some criticism throughout the campus, he said.

Senior Devon Watson said he disagrees with parts of the new policy, especially those that tell students what they should wear in free time outside of the classroom.

"I feel that there will be a lot of resentment and backlash," Watson said. "It infringes on the student's freedom of expression. I matriculated successfully for three-and-half years dressing so how is this a problem?"

Senior Tyrone McGowan said he has mixed feelings about parts of the policy.

"But I have been inspired by the conversation it has created," he said. "We have to find a way to create diverse leaders from this college. I don't want this to place all of us in one box."

Those breaking the policy will not be allowed to go to class unless they change. Chronic dress-code offenders could be suspended from the college.

Bynum said the policy comes from the vision of the college's president, who wants the institution to create leaders like notable graduates Martin Luther King Jr., actor Samuel Jackson and film director Spike Lee.

Senior Cameron Titus applauds the change.

"The policy is just saying that you have to show more respect in how you dress and there are things that are just not acceptable at Morehouse," Titus said. "We have a legacy that we are trying to uphold."
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I don't know if this reference "...five students who are living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way ..." is to students who are TS, or perhaps to a "house" of gay drag-queens. Either way, of course, it's discrimination.

Kris

Reality is a nice concept - but it doesn't hold up to close examination.

Kris

{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}