Virginia school district considering ban on cross-gender dress
In an attempt to protect students from bullying and harassment, a Virginia school district is considering outlawing cross-dressing, a vague way to describe students wearing clothing that would traditionally be worn by people of the other sex.
Administrators in Suffolk, Virginia believe they’ll be keeping kids from the teasing and even suicide that has taken place across the country in cases where students dressed in ways that didn’t “match their gender,” but the ACLU has already spoken up to say the policy is vague and discriminatory.
James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia, suggested that district administrators needed education on issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students.
“If a girl comes to school wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, is that considered cross-gender dressing?” he told Reuters, adding that a misunderstanding of the issues could actually make the students more susceptible to bullying.
“They’re calling it cross-dressing, but if that individual was wearing clothes that reflect their gender identity, that’s not cross-dressing, that’s appropriate gender dressing,” he said.
A vote will take place in March and the ban could potentially take effect in July. What say you?
Virginia, what are you even doing.
