Dress Code: Where’s the Equality? – Opinion Piece

By: MOLLY RIDENOUR

Staff Writer

We’ve all heard of the new dress code policy, and how the administration is locking down on its rules and regulations. It feels like every year there’s something new with it. It’s different every time, the limits are pushed every year. We push for change, for it to be equal. The sad reality is that it’s not. When will it ever be? Why are girls being sexualized for having the same body parts as everyone else? 

Girls cannot show their stomachs, legs, and cleavage area. Cleavage area I  do understand, but when it comes to a stomach, legs, or shoulders, the idea is just stupid. This rule has been around for as long as I can remember. Never once have I, or others, felt as if their dress code was ever remotely fair. Girls have always been the dress code’s main conflict, I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a male get dress coded. But hey, I don’t witness everything going on either. But here’s the real question, are you going to be more distracted by seeing one inch of a girl’s stomach, or another person whose whole buttock is out? Or a person who is wearing dog collars, 6-inch heels, and these crazy outfits which are way more distracting than seeing a girl’s stomach or shoulders.  If wearing crop tops that show your stomach is distracting, so are dog collars, so are these ridiculous heels, and more. If you’re not going to allow one thing, don’t allow the rest. 

You cannot pick and choose what dress code you want, it has to be equal for everyone. I’m not sitting here and telling you that what you’re wearing is any of my business or my care, but when it comes to the equality of myself, and the students around me, I want to speak up. I think the dress code is personally unfair and targets young women who are comfortable in their own skin. Most administrators don’t keep up with today’s fads or fast fashion trends. Many girls today wear what they are comfortable in, why should we stop that? We shouldn’t, at this point the admin is objectifying girls and making it known that they shouldn’t be allowed to wear what they are comfortable in. But it’s not, and has never been. The teachers and staff want students to speak up for themselves and what they believe in, but once we do it’s a problem. We are seen as making a commotion or being disrespectful. When all we ever wanted was to be equal, why is that so hard? 

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