At Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia there is an overall standard dress code for students. No hats, sagging pants or do-rags.But upon reading an article titled “The Mean Girls of Morehouse” I had found that there is also a prohibition of any dresses, heels, skirts and other feminine garments. Although many feel that men shouldn’t wear women’s clothing, we are still in America.
Freedom of self expression shouldn’t be prohibited for someone who’s appearance isn’t directly hurting someone. Members of racial discrimination groups can march around in garments with symbols that offend direct groups of people.
But at Morehouse, there is a clear targeting of these “gender bending” students. This in itself is not fair to them considering that institutes of higher education should try to nurture and keep their students instead of trying to stifle who they are as an individual. Many people view homosexuality as a strictly bad thing for males.
All over America there are lesbians who dress in men’s clothing, but if a man were to dress in women’s clothing it would be viewed as a travesty. How long will it be until we as black people can learn to just accept each other?
You would think that after all of the adversity faced during slavery and the racism of the early 1900’s people would teach their children to love everyone. I myself as a gay student at an HBCU have experienced some frowned faces and turned up noses because of my sexuality, but never from the faculty.
I have also not once been told that I was not allowed to wear something either. So why is it that the men in Atlanta can’t get the same respect from their faculty?
Gays in America come in all shapes, sizes and colors, but alas it is human nature to fear what you do not understand. It seems that what has been deemed “America’s Black Gay Capital,” has turned out to be a place that still doesn’t quite understand its gay population fully.
The idea of dressing in men’s or women’s clothing shouldn’t impose the idea that anyone would be less of a man or woman. As an individual we are who we are so if anything universities, especially HBCU’s, should encourage individuality to help build confidence amongst their students and keep love, equality and understanding the overall message.
For we are the future and what we are taught, we will also be blessed or doomed to teach to future generations.