Why is this a protest?

[Elendon]

I understand that it's hot weather and the male students want to make a point but to do it with white shirts and ties and black shoes and socks? It's like wearing female clothing is abhorrent to them.

No, I didn't actually say all women. But you seem to just have a complex about men. You seem to be a man hater/blamer.

Whisky2014

Do you think the objectification of women by society and media is totally made up?

People don't act in a sodding vacuum. If every message they are getting from adverts, from the people round them, from the DM sidebar of shame, from TV, from movies is emphasising the importance of women being pretty and slim, a lot of women are going to take on board the message that they should be pretty and slim, and that only when they achieve that can they be happy and confident. So yes, in that respect they 'enjoy' it. Also the transformation of women from being hideous blotchy monsters into goddesses is described as 'pampering' or 'because you're worth it!' to make it seem empowering. It's so fucking cynical.

whisky

Its not womens fault that the men have to wear suits

My husbands firm have only just got rid of ties

It would be dead easy to get a list of suitable clothes for office wear...they just dont want to

You can think it's all rubbish all you like but the difference in coverage of clothing made for girls compared to boys starts from a very young age and the contrast is stark.

This, shorts for example

I wanted long shorts for dd, couldn't find any and ended up buying from the 'boys' section

I like it when males wear female dress for comfort. However not because of a protest. It does make me feel uncomfortable when it's portrayed as boys wearing girls clothes as if they are demeaning themselves in doing so.

I don't deny the right for them to protest in this way, but I did prefer it when young pre teen boys protested at wanting to wear girls clothes because it made them feel more comfortable in hot weather.

No doubt that now it's a bit chilly the teenage boys will happily be wearing their long trousers.

My son's school, and my place of work allows the boys to wear PE kit during hot weather as well as shorts. (It's boy's up to sixth form).

It does make me feel uncomfortable when it's portrayed as boys wearing girls clothes as if they are demeaning themselves in doing so

Are they demeaning themselves? I don't think they are. Do you? How very odd.

I didn't think the very stylish boy I saw in Covent garden yesterday in his black cotton skirt.was demeaning himself.

If they are not feeling demeaned in doing so then they are not demeaned. That was not how it was portrayed though.

Portrayed by whom as demeaning?

I can't see anything in the article or the photograph which leads to that conclusion. Do you think it is demeaning?

The media.

but I did prefer it when young pre teen boys protested at wanting to wear girls clothes because it made them feel more comfortable in hot weather

But as far as I understand all the coverage, this is exactly why they wore skirts. They were not allowed to be out of school uniform, skirts are school uniform, ergo they wore them when it was too hot to wea trousers.

The girls can do exactly the same, but in reverse: in warm weather, they can wear skirts, and when it's colder, they can wear trousers.

I don't think you're making a valid point here.

Plenty of shorts suits: www.google.co.uk/search?q=short+suits&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj80s6vmtTUAhVHF8AKHficDvkQsAQIpQE&biw=1643&bih=905 (google image search for short suits if you don't wish to clicky)

In Oz shorts are male school uniform right up to 18+ in some schools.

We just don't have the weather for it to be an issue here apart from those 3 or 4 days a year.

someone said

But there is an undertone by some posters whenever this subject is discussed of "eugh- skirts, how horrible" . It seems a bit odd if one starts from the position that things associated with women are undervalued to be happy to go along with that.

I don't see that in this thread. But each to their own with regard to interpretation. The poster who wrote this also has never had been subject to sexism ever.

Here's the Guardian coverage.

Guardian article

My dad said men feel they cannot adapt what they wear to work, that it would be a distraction in the workplace and not appropriate.

Say what?

I still stand by the wearing of a skirt was not a protest.

Wearing shorts would be defiant and a protest. But it doesn't make good news.

So the fact that most newspapers & broadcast media, and the boys themselves, say it was a protest against a rigid interpretation of the uniform rules - so this doesn't make you a teensy bit less adamant about your assertion?

That's hilarious, actually. Are you this stubborn about most things?

I'm really not following a few of the arguments on here. Is it just me?

But why didn't they just wear the skirts and go in as normal? Why make it a protest? Boy wears skirt is a protest?

I'm not understanding this protest.

Boy sent home for wearing shorts to school during hot weather when it is banned is a protest.

OK, don't think of it as a protest so much as a witty riposte to a silly rule

Anyway, I thought I would lighten the thread with this fun link Men in skirts

I don't see that in this thread. But each to their own with regard to interpretation. The poster who wrote this also has never had been subject to sexism ever

Well you are the one going on about how "demeaning" this. And that "the media" are saying it is demeaning. There is nothing in the Guardian article which leads to that conclusion and the boys look pretty pleased with themselves.

OK, don't think of it as a protest so much as a witty riposte to a silly rule

I know. I really don't follow why it is so important to the OP that the boys should have turned up in shorts.

By telling the boys 'to wear skirts then', the school was hoping to humiliate them into silence. The boys refused to be humiliated and wore skirts, highlighting the stupidity of the policy.

It should be the school that you're cross with Elendon, they're the ones saying that boys wearing female uniform is abhorrent.

I don't understand why some posters, especially those who have never experienced sexism, choose to comment on this thread. Why, if you've never experienced sexism in your life would you be bothered?

Why is it humiliating for boys to wear skirts? And why would they as teenagers, humiliate themselves in doing this? even more