It’s not sexuality OR self-expression

Bingham High School
Photo by Photo Dean

Despite how the media and students are portraying the situation, the Bingham High dress code fiasco isn’t about sexuality nor is it about self-expression despite what this article in the Standard Examiner suggests.

They got their spin from the girl who led the protest walkout on Monday. She said this:

I understand having a dress code but when it comes down to a dance that’s our time to be rewarded for being good students and we should be able to express ourselves.

She’s trying to claim self expression but notice that there is no complaint about the dress code itself. “She understands having a dress code” and she makes no claim that its too restrictive or unreasonable. She simply wishes that it would be ignored for the dance despite the fact that the school did everything to make sure that students understood the dress code for the dance.

The issue here is simply that she didn’t care about the dress code that all the students were well informed of so she chose to ignore it. Now she wants sympathy for having experienced the consequences.

I for one have no sympathy to offer. She knew the rules and made her choice. The consequences are hers to experience.

As for the question of whether we should look at it as an issue of sexuality or self expression – that is a very appropriate question to ask when the decision is being made about what dress code to have (if any). Once it comes to enforcement the only questions remaining are 1) does this meet the standards that are set? and 2) do our standards mean anything??

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