GIRLS ARE NOT DISTRACTIONS

Monday: January 19, 2015

This is a pretty strong-to-my-heart topic which is why I feel like it's a good first real blog about my opinion.
So I've ben pondering more and more about how dress code policies are strongly held and primarily in high school but also in the younger grades as well. And I've been just wondering, why is it that there is such a highlight on what a girl is wearing. A girl is not a distraction, she is a human being. To say her skirt is too short or her shirt is too low cut is "distracting" to the people around her is saying that she must cover up as much as possible, is in fact implying for them to just blend into the walls.

Yes ladies, just buy an extra large men's shirt in the color of your school walls to completely mask and disguise your feminine features, become invisible.

To shame a young girl, especially around the earlier stages of puberty usually around 13 or so, when they are just developing these "distracting" parts, in front of an entire class is utterly embarrassing. I'm not saying there should not be dress codes or that girls should not dress modestly, but most dress codes are formatted where they are basically implying that a girl dressing in a "showy" matter, is saying they are asking for trouble and that "boys will be boys", is not a good message to send to these young girls This tells girls that they will always be the problem and tells boys that if they get in trouble for something, it is okay to simply blame the girl.
Dress codes should be implicated to tell young ladies to dress in a matter of self-respect, that dressing modestly is classy and that school is an environment to dress "professionally" since once graduation hits, it will be replaced by a working environment. However, to imply to young ladies that they are a distraction, that they should hide themselves away because other wise they are "asking for it" is astounding since we live in the year 2015.
For example, shorts are usually not really able to be worn in schools because how dare a young girl show her bare legs, that's just too much. Dress code for girls is usually to their fingertips for the length of the shorts or skirts, more precisely the middle finger tip seeing as it is the longest. Because you know, showing just your bare legs or skin is super suggestive and provocative. Now explain to me how if you happen to be a long armed girl such as myself, how this is fair if my skirts or shorts need to be barely an inch above my knee (nearly impossible to find shorts or skirts of that length in any female section regardless if you're a teenager or not by the way). But yet boys may go around wearing any sort of shorts they so please without any regulations, regardless if it's for a sports team or due to the fact that it may simply be over 100 degrees outside. And actually if a girl is on any type of cheerleading or sports team where their UNIFORM THAT THE SCHOOL ALLOWS DURING THE SPORTING EVENTS, they must usually either not wear the clothing at and must only wear their sports jersey/shirt OR wear pants underneath their uniforms.. Do you see boys wearing pants under their basketball shorts? No? I thought so.
Also, leggings are not tights. If a girl is coming to school with a pair of leggings that are clearly not see-through, and are made of actual material, then why oh why can she not wear them?
Low-cut shirts, obviously if your bra is covered for the most part you'd assume she'd be fine? No. Wearing a low-cut shirt is promptly asking for a boy to look down your shirt and just don't even ask for that.
I could probably go on and on about dress code regulations but let me just stop myself before I go too far.
Now the entirety of this status is simply asking why is it okay to teach girls that they are distractions and boys that if they are distracted, it is merely the girls' fault? How is it okay to pretty much tell boys and young men that it is okay that if they can't control themselves because it is up to us young women to disguise ourselves to become less distracting?
I feel girls should be taught to dress for the situation of where they are going, the context, but still be able to stick true to themselves and express themselves because that's pretty much the entire point of fashion. The rules of dress code themselves are not the problem, it's how they are constructed. This is where the rape culture comes from. "Don't wear these clothes, boys will get distracted because all they care about is sex." "Don't walk alone at night, a male might rape you."
The problem is first we do not give enough credit to men because they should have enough self control to manage themselves and teach that women are NOT just a distraction and play toys men can just take and use at their disposal.
The idea of degrading young women to feel as if all they are is distracting objects, is not okay.
And to be rather honest, what is actually distracting in school is trying not to be a "distraction"

Katya Podkovyroff
"The September Journalist"