Saturday, October 17, 2009

What really matters

I see that Morehouse has taken up that all important burning issue of the day; they've implemented an "Appropriate Attire Policy" which bans the wearing of women's clothing: no cross-dressing for that respected all-male African-American institution...

I just wonder: why didn't they go ahead and say "all of you guys should dress like white prep school men"? Because that's pretty much what's left. I am generally of the opinion that standards of appropriate attire have long ago gone down the tubes but this policy is a doozy: no hats in buildings, no sunglasses in class and more...I'm thinking: they're saying no marijuana leaves on shirts or on chains, don't come in hungover, be respectable. Sounds like Texas A&M to me. Crazy. Really? Forgive me if I'm all "Kumbaya" but I always thought of college as a time and place where people are nearly obligated to explore the boundaries of their worlds....

They went further in explaining, "we have about five people living a gay lifestyle and that leads them to dress inappropriately.." Really? Wow. Here's the thing: at the all-women university I attended, girls dressed like boys allllllll the time and some of them were gay some weren't. I think that's fairly common..where? The entire western world?--it seems nearly universally OK for women to wear clothing similar to male attire. And I'd have never survived a single semester without at least a visor to beat back my bed head when I'd had to dash across the campus the moment I opened my eyes... Of course Morehouse is not likely to face irate students on that score. Being private gives that administration more leeway to stipulate what students wear...so why don't they just say its all khakis and golf shirts all the time? Get this: you can't walk barefoot on campus. I suppose that means not even on grassy knolls on pretty spring afternoons... I wonder if applies to the drunken girls removing their shoes to avoid making noise when they accompany their dates back to the dorms?

Finally, I don't even know what to say about "gay lifestyles leading those five gay men to dress inappropriately"...really? Gayness caused that?

Seems like someone doesn't have enough to do at Morehouse. I don't suppose they need any help over in the Theater department costuming Shakespeare In Love....

4 comments:

Lyman said...

I'm betting that number is a lot higher than five ...

KHM said...

Uh-huh...I mean Morehouse is prestigious and all but nooooooo chicks on campus? Come on!

Teamdaub said...

Kathy, I've come to believe that a lot of homophobia is really just an expression of hatred (or fear) of the feminine. As if the worst thing is the world a person with male genitalia can do is associate themselves or their sexuality with anything perceived as female. I have so little patience with rigid gender roles. . .

KHM said...

Ain't it the truth, Teresa?! Is the policy generating much buzz in Atlanta?

*mature content to follow: be warned*

And what is it that is so perjorative about calling another person a c***s%cker? Seems like that would be, in most instances, kind of a nice person...