If a man named “Diamond” with strappy sandals with 3-inch high heels (as described in the VIBE magazine article, “Mean Girls of Morehouse”) walked into my classroom, I probably would politely walk out.While there is nothing I can do about how one decides to present, something of this nature would be a distraction more than anything at Grambling.
Students would become disrespectful inside and outside of the classroom, which could lead to other issues such as violence or harassment.
Although rare, these distinctive males are spotted here at Grambling. The administration at Morehouse just tried to take a stand against this alarming trend to protect the prestige of the school’s name.
While I agree with the stand Morehouse chose to take, I don’t agree with how the administration went about wording the ordinance.
The dress code stated, “Students, referred to as ‘Renaissance Men,’ were not allowed to wear caps, do-rags, sunglasses or sagging pants on the Morehouse campus or at college-sponsored events. But what raised most eyebrows was the rule about women’s clothing: no wearing of dresses, tops, tunics, purses or pumps.”
If you are going to say something of that nature, you can’t name a specific group of people. If I was a bag-toting, makeup wearing, weave-swinging male, I would feel discriminated against.
I respect “Diamond” for standing up for whatever it is he believes in and leaving the school altogether. It takes a lot of will to leave a school where one thought he was welcome and go to a complete different school because of discriminatory problems.
At the end of the article, the question was posed, “Does Diamond consider herself a man?” After a groan, he responded. “Yes, I refer to myself as a man, to relieve any confusion. Sometimes people don’t understand the whole androgyny thing.”
So the question presented itself: “Well, what are you? “Yes, I’m a man. I like women’s clothes. And yeah, I’m gay. But I don’t want that to define me. How come people can’t just see me as a person?”
To answer Mr. Diamond’s question, people do see you as a person. People just don’t see you as man or a female.
I never did understand why people would want to change genders and alter the way God created them.
I think the “cross-dressing” fad is not only nauseating, but also a cry for attention. You are basically telling the world non-verbally, “I’M A MAN, BUT I WANT TO BE WOMAN.”
In the classroom, this is distracting.
Envision you have presentation and the “Renaissance Men” walked to the front of the class to present.
How would you feel? Being a male, uncomfortable is the only word that comes to mind.
I salute you Morehouse. Keep with tradition. You are trailblazers. If I might add just a hint of advice next time, remember that it’s not always what you say, but how you say what you say.