After transgender students complained that certain articles of clothing offended them, a school principal decided to completely ban all pupils from ever wearing them on campus.
Since the first schoolhouse opened in the West, parents have entrusted their children to esteemed educators who were charged with instilling the latest trends in modern education. One such subject that has recently taken the public education system by storm is LGBT education.
This movement has been so widely accepted by the schools that even the way children are socialized in the classroom must fall under the guidelines put forth by this minority demographic. While the schools have done everything they can to ensure that this minority is accepted, the group consistently submits requests for policy changes, some of which affect the majority as well.
In one British school, the emotional wellbeing of the campus’ transgender students is a top priority. In fact, the principal holds the feelings of this small group of children so highly that all it took was a few complaints to have him changing long-standing school policy.
According to The Sun, the Priory School in Lewes has informed all female students that they will no longer be allowed to wear skirts after “concerns” were raised by “5 or 6 transgender students” who said that the clothing made them feel uncomfortable. As such, headteacher Tony Smith banned the feminine clothing and instead implemented a “gender neutral” dress code.
The new dress code mandates that all students must wear pants, a move that has been attributed to the complaints of a handful of preteen transgender students. Now, first-year students will be required to wear the new uniform, which consists of a shirt, tie, jumper, and grey slacks, the BBC reports.
Headteacher Tony Smith explained that the policy addresses issues of “inequality and decency.” In a statement, he insisted that the majority must respect the minority, which, in this case, seems to entail appeasing their demands.
He added: “Respecting people’s rights are very important. We believe in rights and responsibilities, we believe in equality and we believe in fairness. We want to treat everybody the same. We hope that it will provide a smart, comfortable and affordable alternative to the current uniform.”
While the transgender students and their families are obviously on board with the change, claiming it involves acceptance and inclusion, others see it as a negative. One university sociologist predicted that this change will usher in a plethora of demands.
Frank Furedi, sociologist at the University of Kent said: “You start with uniform on Monday, by Tuesday you’re going to say, ‘maybe we shouldn’t use the pronouns he and she.’ By Wednesday, you’re going to talk about having gender neutral bathrooms. In so doing, you’re raising fundamental questions about people’s identity.”
One mother pointed out that, while the move appeases the minority, it discriminates against the majority of students who are not gender fluid or non-binary.
Mother-of-four Lara, who did not want to give her surname, said: “My daughter said she has got a gender and it’s female so being gender neutral when she has got a gender is a big deal for her, as she proud to be a girl.
Since the policy was announced, the school has been in hot water with the community. Headteacher Tony Smith is also discovering that there isn’t a policy that will make everyone happy, and his move will likely make more students unhappy than were before.
In catering to the vocal minority, the majority is often disenfranchised and even discriminated against. Disturbingly, many of these political movements have led policies that are often confusing and impossible to follow.
