Admit It: Dress code is double standard

Outrageous dress codes have been heavily enforced upon girls on campus. The issue is not what the girls are wearing; it is the unwillingness to admit that girls are being targeted for insensible reasons and are victims of a double standard. 

The school prohibits attire that it deems distracting. For example, students are not allowed to wear clothing that reveals their “bare” shoulders. Realistically, no student would be distracted by their peer’s shoulders. If a teacher is, the school should reconsider why they were hired in the first place. They should be teaching, not staring at their student’s shoulders. Girls should not have to wear clothes they do not like solely because a teacher finds it disconcerting. The school’s primary intent is to educate students so why are teachers being prioritized in situations like these? 

The dress code specifically implies that girls are the issue. As mentioned before, people are typically not off-putted by feminine clothing. Even if they are, there should be no reason for girls to alter their appearance simply because men on campus find it distracting. If anything, this should be the other way around. Men should stop being carried away by their inappropriate thoughts. If a male teacher or student is hyper-fixated on an outfit they regard as revealing, they are the ones being unprofessional. Girls should not have to change the way they dress because they are victims of sexualization in a situation that is not their fault. 

When watching guys participate in athletic activities on campus, for instance, weight training, it is common to see them not wearing a top because of how sweaty they become. Some may argue that guys are allowed to be shirtless because of the heat, however, why does this not apply to girls? This is reasonable but remains applicable to girls. Girls are not built differently. They too, have sweat glands.

The dress code should be applied because certain clothes are definitely inappropriate. But, with the way it is currently enforced upon girls, it is excessive and unreasonable. Girls on campus do not actually walk around wearing garments that are as revealing as the school makes it seem. Typically, girls wear tank tops or breathable shirts for the hot weather. However, they get dress coded, because somehow, that is worse than guys going shirtless. It is obvious that there is a double standard. Despite the ongoing heatwave and temperatures spiking to the hundreds, campus supervisors have been forcing girls to wear jackets. Not only is it unfair, but it is also a safety hazard. Due to this, girls are put at risk for potential heat strokes, heat exhaustion, and heat cramps. 

Instead, the school should allow girls to wear what they will feel comfortable in, allow them to wear clothes that keep them safe in the heat, and only dress code students that are wearing genuinely revealing attire. If a campus supervisor asks you to put on a jacket–despite the hot weather–and you feel that it is unfair, please ask for their name and report it to the Student Support Services. Once again, stay safe in the heat and dress the way you want rather than accommodate for others.