lawsuit in school

I agree with you, KrazyKat. It does sound like the "I'm gay so you better treat me extra-special!" argument.

I also wanted to bring up another point: if you go to school, you automatically give up some of your Constitutional rights. Period. There have been a few Supreme Court decisions on this. Schools do have the right to search "your" locker, even your bacpack (if it is in "your" locker) with or without suspicion. Ever heard of random locker searches? Student newspapers can be censored by the Principal. No questions asked, even if it a news story that he/she doesn't want to be covered. Some schools are more lenient about what "rights" students have than others, but if the rules are that she wears a dress for senior pictures then that's the rules. If I remember right, the only exceptions are for legitimate religious beliefs, not sexual orientation or "because I want to."

Unfortunately, she will probably get her way because she is gay and no one wants all the gay rights activists on their case.

I think that she should be able to wear whatever she wants. Afterall, its her picture and noone else's. If someone chooses to be gay, then thats their business and they should be entitled to everthing that the rest of us are entitled to.

Yes, they should be treated like everyone else, not special because they are gay. There should be equal rights. Not gay rights, the color of you skin rights, single mommy rights, immigration status rights, or anything else they happen to think makes them special. This is just my opinion. I am not trying to offend anyone or start an arguement.

I think that if everyone else gets to wear whatever they want, then she should be able to as well. However, if there are rules in place that says what she can and can't wear for the yearbook picture, then she should abide by those rule.

When I got my senior pics done, one of the rules for the yearbook was No Hats. I understood the rule - you don't want someone covering their face with a hat, or have someone wearing a trashing old baseball cap. My favorite outfit that I had at that time included a really nice, blue, wide-brimmed floppy hat. Very dressy. I had my picture taken in that blue hat, and that's the one I gave out to my friends and family. I had pictures taken in a different outfit for the yearbook photo. I didn't sue the school because I wanted to wear the hat!

That's how I see it, too, KK. It should be EQUAL rights for everyone, no matter what their "differences." We are all human, no matter skin color, religion, or sexual preference. Equal rights also means that we ALL have to play by the same rules, whether in legal terms or school rules, or corporate policy. If the rules say girls have to be in dresses for the yearbook photo, then that is the rule. She shouldn't be an exception just because she is gay. She can certainly wear anything she wants for her senior pictures, but if she wants one in the yearbook then she has to abide by the rules.

At least that's how I see it.

In my high school , a couple of years before I graduated there was a girl who wore a suit to graduation. She wasn't gay, just tomboyish and hadn't wore a dress since she was 3. There was no problem with it, there probably would have been a bigger issue if she wanted to wear jeans. It wasn't like she wasn't dressed up, she looked great.

What's wrong with wearing a suit? It is neat and not revealing. Would there have been a flap, if it was a Chanel suit? After some of the garbage that I've seen kids wear, I find a suit refreshing. I see 8-to-10-years olds in cropped tops, cut-up-to-there shorts, makeup and dragon lady nails. They look just like the hookers, on the stroll.

Cindy, Those are their "Sunday Go to Meetin'" clothes! I'm quite serious; I have seen young people dressed like that for Confirmation. The ministers hesitate to say anything because they're afraid the kids (young teens) won't come back! I'm sure I'm quite old fashioned, but I think that's disrespectful. I had a nice young boy in bell choir, and I explained that playing the bells is a visual, as well as musical art. (It is.) I asked if he would please wear his dressy clothes when bell choir played, and he did-willingly. In fact, he checked with me several times, asking if "such and such" would be suitable. The reason he dressed for church in baggy jeans with holes in the knees is because no one told him it wasn't ok. Sure, God wants those kids in church, no matter what they wear, but it was so nice to see him in a nice shirt and slacks for bell choir!

Yes, as a student, you do give up some of your Constituional rights, but there are an equal number of cases where the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the student, as well. In cases involving dress, the Court has ruled in favor of the student, as long as the attire wasn't disruptive to the learning environment. In Tinker v. Des Moines the Court ruled that denial of freedom of expression must be justified by a reasonable forecast of substantial disruption.

As most people who have posted, it seems clear to me that the woman should be entitled to wear a suit if she wants. If there is a "rule" that says women should wear dresses, then that rule should be changed : it's a touch archaic don't you think? Surely in the year 2002 we, as a society, understand that both a suit and a dress can be appropriate dress for a graduation regardless if the person is gay or not.

Then again, I've never been a fan of dress codes which seem to instill values of conformity even though those values are not always necessary or even preferable.

I am really more comfortable in jeans, slacks or shorts than anything else. I had to buy skirts to teach at the Christian School, or choose not to work there. Although I sympathize with the young lady's attempt to stand up for her rights, I think she could choose her "fights" more carefully. We are not teaching her to deal with the real world if we set no standards of acceptability. I sincerely doubt that many prospective employers would hire a woman dressed in a man's suit. They would fear a lack of business. Isn't preparation for the real world the job of parents and schools? If she holds her ground, I applaud her courage, but wonder about her wisdom. Her choice of lifesyle will bring many problems, which she will have to deal with. She can't fight everything; she will have to choose what's most important.

Gee, I don't know. Changing an outfit is a heck of a lot easier than eliminating something such as a facial tattoo. Women in pants in the workplace is commonplace nowadays. It seems to me that the school is being just as ridiculous in picking a fight over such a small issue. It's not like she is asking to be photographed in the nude for the picture.

Women in pants in the workplace is commonplace nowadays.

Click to expand...

Deb,

I entirely agree with you. I work in a hospital setting, and a majority of the women who work in administrative roles here wear pantsuits. They look extremely professional, even if they are wearing "men's clothing".

I saw a quick blurb on our local television station about this issue, and the girl in question was wearing a button-down shirt and khakis. I wouldn't call that men's attire, I'd call that what I wear for most of the fall. I can't understand why this is such a big issue. As someone else said, it's not like she wanted to have her picture taken in the buff.

has to do with sexual preference. I don't see it as a statement of any kind. I also find it offensive (NOT as a lesbian, just as a person, by the way) that the school district automatically associates a woman wearing "man's" clothing with lesbianism. The two things have nothing to do with each other. I know as many lesbians who are "girly" as I know "butch" ones. I know as many gay men who weightlift as I know those who dance.
I myself (a straight woman) would prefer to wear a suit in a photo myself. I simply don't like dresses. I would also fight it, in a court of law if necessary. It seems to be an archaic rule, hearkening back to the days of "don't you dare leave the house without woolen underwear and three petticoats or they'll think you're a hussy, young lady".
I wish people would think about what they are saying before they stereotype. The fact that this woman prefers suits and is a lesbian may have something to do with each other, but they are not essentially related.

When I taught at public and private schools, I wore slacks and pantsuits. I wore pantsuits when I worked at the Steinway piano store. I also wore more jewelry and dressier clothes there because of the products I was representing. These are women's clothes. I adjusted my attire to the situation. It's my understanding that this young lady wants to wear a man's suit. She's making a statement, and that's fine, but the school doesn't have to change its dress code. I think she is also making a mountain out of a molehill. I reiterate: Choose your fights; there are causes worthy of a fight against city hall. She might win, but it could be a Pyrrhic victory.

This is a direct quote from Tigger's initial post:

Did anyone see the lawsuit goin on MSNBC this afternoon? A lesbian high school senior is suing her school because they won't let her wear a suit (guy's suit) for her high school graduation picture!
(End quote)
No one is assuming or stereotyping; we are taking the post at face value. Before I went back to college for my certification, I spent fifteen years singing in an opera company. As a result, I have more acquaintances and former colleagues who are gay than the average person. Yes, that's a stereotype, but one of the few based on fact. Many of the chorus members and ballet were gay. None of them dressed any differently from the rest of us. They had nothing to prove. They were blessed with a gift in music; that's what was important. Most made no attempt to live in the "closet." Nor were they flagrant about their sexual choices. They were singers and dancers doing a job.

That is as it should be. 3 of my immediate family are gay. My sister waves it like a banner and if you disagree with her on anything, it is because she's gay. My oldest brother and my mother, both now deceased, I had no idea until after their deaths. My mother hid it from me, but I guess I just never thought about it with my brother. He just was how he was. In retrospect, I see it, and it doesn't matter. He was my big brother and I loved him. He never hid it, he just didn't flaunt it.

Just wondering: what actually constitutes flaunting one's homosexuality?It seems to me that everyday of my life I'm constantly exposed to heterosexuality. From the Hollywood movies, to the people (arguably usually men) who feel compelled to highlight their heterosexuality ect...
That being said, I think that many homosexuals feel a lot of pressure to feel ashamed of what they no doubt view as the very core of their being. They are constantly being told that they should hide their sexuality so as to not offend the hetero majority. I myself am not homosexual (as far as I know...). But I can certainly understand why those who are would want to ascert their sexuality if only as a reaction to the overwelming pressures they face to repress and/or hide their identity/sexuality.
Just being my usual contrary self...

My s/o and I are heterosexual and devoted to each other. However, we do not appear on magazine covers, Tv shows or march in "Straight Pride" parades. We do not engage in flagrantly sexual behavior, in public. We do not object to homosexuality or any other type of sexual expression. However, we consider sex to be something private, between two consenting adults NOT a public show.

Well spoken katl8e!

The trouble with the argument is that in American society, the dominant class doesn't have to wave a banner to bring attention to themselves. There don't have to be "straight" parades, because being striaght is the mainstream of society. Any group that feels discriminated against usually bands together to show its unity. That goes for gays, Blacks during the Civil Rights movement, and even women in the 70s.