Morehouse bans cross dressing on campus, could result in suspension

[CocoaPuss Zine]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/17/college.dress.code/index.html

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.


William Bynum says he discussed the new dress-wearing ban policy with Morehouse's campus gay organization.

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."

[jahluv]

Props to Mile - Yeah, many of the stars of the Harlem Renaissance were queer and out. Langston Hughes and Claude McKay come to mind right off the top.

I was on Howard's campus in the late 80's visiting a friend of mine (who was Puff's roommate for a minute), and some gay lifestyle issue came up in conversation. I ignorantly asked about the Gay student union on campus - and you would have thought I asked about the Al-Qaeda frat. Not the most progressive place back in the day - kinda sad to see things haven't moved forward in twenty plus years.

Actually, the truest conservatives are Libertarians - who don't believe in government meddling in people's personal lives.DJ Random Brotha said:

So being conservative is a bad thing? Talk about closed minded.

[Compound Egret]

It's going on in a lot of places...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-10-18-yearbook-photo-lesbi...

JACKSON, Miss. — Veronica Rodriguez describes her daughter, 17-year-old Ceara Sturgis, as "a perfect child": a straight-A student, a goalie on the soccer team, a trumpet player in the band and active in Students Against Destructive Decisions.

Sturgis also is gay and feels more comfortable in boys' clothes, her mother says. So Rodriguez supported her daughter's decision to wear a tuxedo, rather than the drape customary for girls, when she had her senior portrait made in July. Now she is battling officials at Wesson Attendance Center in the Copiah County (Miss.) School District. Rodriguez said she received a letter from the school in August stating that only boys could wear tuxedos and have since refused to include the photo in the school yearbook.

The conflict is one of several this year involving how school districts handle cross-dressing students.

"The yearbook is not for the parents or the teachers. It's for the students," Rodriguez said. "She's not a troublemaker. She is gay."

Superintendent Ricky Clopton said the school district's attorney has assured him they are within their rights to exclude the photo.

Sturgis said she has received support from classmates and people around the nation. "It's really an amazing feeling," she said.

The Mississippi chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union warned the district that they are violating Sturgis' constitutionally protected freedom of expression, legal director Kristy Bennett said.

Candace Gingrich of the Human Rights Campaign, which advocates on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, said it is not uncommon for LGBT students to clash with school officials on this issue. "It's a matter of self-expression," she said. Other school conflicts this year:

• In Waldorf, Md., a Westlake High senior was denied the option of wearing a tuxedo for her yearbook photo. Her mother complained, and the school reversed the decision after discovering other schools had allowed it, schools spokeswoman Katie O'Malley-Simpson said.

• In Dunnellon, Fla., a 16-year-old boy was sent home in March for violating Marion County School District dress code by wearing makeup, high-heeled boots and a bra. The policy on the district website states that students must dress "in keeping with their gender." Kathy Richardson, of the school district, said the boy's cross-dressing was an isolated event.

• In Lebanon, Ind., school officials in March reversed a ban on cross-dressing when a female senior decided to wear a tux to the prom. The girl sued the district, but the issue was settled when a "gender-neutral" policy was adopted. "We were OK with making that switch," Lebanon High Principal Kevin O'Rourke said.

In Sturgis' case, the deadline for yearbook photos was Sept. 30. Rodriguez hopes the school will reconsider.

Contributing: Marquita Brown. Joyner and Brown report for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss.

[Daoud]

(shakes head) my how things have(not?) changed...

Speaking as the (so-far) the only alumni the instition in question, I can't say I have a major problem with this new policy.

Morehouse being unique in it standing as the ONLY college or university in the world established exclusively for Black men, it has endured it's share of attacks for discriminatory, racist, chauvanistic, supremacist, etc. But after two centuries it still stands and stills turns out some of the most influential people in the world. Attending "THE HOUSE" was one greatest and most enlightening experiences of my life.

There was an element homosexual rumours that were there before I arrived about it being "25-50% homo". "Watch out man! Dey all ova..." Many of us were sleeping with our backs to the wall for the first few nights. It turned out to be nonsense (usually started by House-haters). There were certain cliques who were more private about their gay tendencies and some who were outed did deal with some ostrization. But never to the degree of public attacks (that I knew of). Mostly it was the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

One thing I did see after I graduated nearly two decades ago was that as Morehouse became better funded and popular (much through the works then new president Dr. Leroy Keith and the rise of SCHOOL DAZE & A DIFFERENT WORLD) that the student body appeared to be less activist and defined. It became more 'loosey-goosey' like anything goes, as often seen on white campuses.

There was always a strong conservative angle at Morehouse. Under the conditions which is it was establised post-slavery where it was life or death, that was understandable. They even had memos sent out when I attended to watch out for "radical" elements like myself who "wore dreads, were muslim" and other things considered counter to Morehouse ideals. These were concepts that challenged great grads like Dr. King, Samuel L. Jackson, and Spike Lee each WHILE they attended Morehouse and obviously followed their confronting mainstream white society through their lives.

Still I have to wonder where today these students believe wearing women's clothing is the most productive expression in a school environment. Same goes for hats in class, sagging jeans, pajamas, etc. If any of these individuals who choose express themselves in this fashion wish to fight the administration about it, so be it. Good luck, it got Sam and Spike kicked off at different times.

But remember the House is private institution which means that with the agreement of the majority of students and trustees, they set the rules. So same as if you don't take your shoes off at my house, you can't come in. Be ready to fight.

[Mlle d. Sade]

I hope they do fight, then. Trans men have as much right to go to a conservative school as anyone else.

[julesville]

This sounds like the funnest thing ever to protest. One day, all the protester dudes come to school wearing dresses. They can't get in to classes so most of the classes will be empty and they may have to cancel them for the day. Every one comes out into the quad wearing their dresses and start the chanting . News vans'll show for sure, it'll make Moorehouse history! It'll be on You Tube within seconds, it'll be national in minutes!

[Mlle d. Sade]

I would love to see this happen. This needs to happen. Either way, I'm tired of this boring, stuffy, upperclass blacks who are so white washed as to believe queers don't exist.

julesville said:

This sounds like the funnest thing ever to protest. One day, all the protester dudes come to school wearing dresses. They can't get in to classes so most of the classes will be empty and they may have to cancel them for the day. Every one comes out into the quad wearing their dresses and start the chanting . News vans'll show for sure, it'll make Moorehouse history! It'll be on You Tube within seconds, it'll be national in minutes!

[Rage_Proletaire]

Mlle d. Sade said:

... I'm tired of this boring, stuffy, upperclass blacks who are so white washed as to believe queers don't exist ...

... or refuse to acknowledge the glaring parallels between the now-sanctified "race" struggle and other, equally relevant civil rights issues that transcend the exclusivity of the former..