June went by, July was hell, especially since that bullying piece of trash spoke down to me.
Every.
Single.
Day.
It hurt me, but the other two were always there to help me.
It served as a source of comfort.
July also brought on a new problem.
Another class mate was being discriminated against by the the others, he was asking about boys wearing skirts.
It was painful to listen to it.
A staff member had said that he was not allowed to wear skirts, and I was encouraged to email him about this.
I was not so sure, but I decided to anyway.
Everybody else was too scared to even look him in the eyes.
I was their best shot, especially since I had done so much for the school.
It went a bit like this:
Good evening Sir,
This email concerns something that my friend brought to my attention a few days ago, concerning the rule about boys wearing skirts, as we were redirected to talking to you directly about this issue. I'm not sure whether this issue has already been brought to your attention, but I'm sending this anyway.
Myself as well as my friends believe that boys should be allowed to wear skirts in the academy. The main reason disallowing this, I believe, is that skirts are seen as 'feminine' items of clothing, and it has been like that for a long time, and being any different would be odd. However, until the 19th century, children, regardless of gender, would be dressed in skirts. During the 19th century, dresses and trousers had more 'assigned genders' and that has been upheld- mostly- until now.
A school theme Everyone is Valued also ties into this. It states that 'Diversity is celebrated' and the disallowance of male skirt-wearing breaches that belief. This also ties in with the Modern British Value Individual Liberty that teachers teach us. Everybody has a right to express themselves (within reason). Whether you're a male or a female, we should be allowed to wear what we want from the uniform roster. If clothes had an assigned gender, girls should not be able to wear trousers because they're seen as a 'masculine' item of clothing. This is the 21st century, not the 19th or 20th century. Our school prides itself in teaching their students the latest information and news in current society, and with transgender, gay, gender equality and other rights activists working to make the world a more accepting place, I think that we should support this. Let's take that a step further. Clothes should not have a gender. I personally know people who have been annoyed at this rule and would wish for the 'no skirt for boys' rule to be changed. Additionally, when my friend originally asked the office why boys weren't allowed to wear skirts, he got a blunt 'because they can't' as the reason and redirected to you. What's the point in just teaching it when it's never put into practice? Intolerance comes from ignorance, and I see people on social media speaking about this too.
I understand that there are people (internal and external) that may disapprove of this but isn't school supposed to protect them? For many, school is not just a place for vital education but a safe space where they can be themselves. This is further supported by several of my friends too, and they wish to do so but are scared of the repercussions that they may face if they do wear said skirts. Why should they be afraid to express themselves, when this school that's supposed to be 'all-accepting'? Why are they pulled back from being the person that want to be because of a school rule? One that's so old and cliche that even some of the teachers agree that it could be changed?
There are other more physical benefits too. We've seen a fairly mild winter season, with the temperature being several degrees warmer than usual. This may signal warmer summers that are to come in the future. Skirts and tights are definitely thinner than school trousers and are quite practical. The concept has been around for years and I doubt that it would cause any 'distractions' that some people bring up. Clothes are clothes and as long as it is kept within the school guidelines, I can't see why this is not allowed.
Additionally, gender stereotyping, even something as simple as the clothes aspect, is actually rather mentally damaging. Stereotyped assumptions can also "significantly limit" students' career choices, in turn contributing to the gender pay gap, according to the findings of an influential commission set up by the leading gender equality campaigning charity in the world. Also, in the home, a majority of parents recognise that there is a problem, with three-quarters saying people treat boys and girls differently from an early age. They are also seven times more likely to picture their sons working in construction and almost three times as likely to see their daughters in nursing or care work.
Overall, we believe that boys wearing skirts should be normalised and allowed. This can teach students about acceptance, as well as tie in with the 'Everyone is Valued' theme that teachers and students strive to embody. If you could consider implementing this, we'd all be extremely grateful.
Thank you for taking the time to read this,
At about 10 pm, I actually got a response.
It scared the daylights out of me the next morning when I booted up my computer.
I sent it into the group chat and actually read it.
It stated that he would see that the receptionist is dealt with.
He also said that it was allowed, and there must have been some sort of miscommunication between us all.
So that was settled.
There were only two weeks of school in July,and afterward, we'd be free until September.