Va. School District Considering Cross-Dressing Ban
- Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:06pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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Nansemond River High School is one of 19 schools that would be affected by a potential ban on cross-gender dressing in Suffolk, Va. (Image source: Fox News)
A Virginia school district is considering a ban on cross-gender dressing in an effort to protect students from harassment, though civil liberties and gay rights groups charge it would violate First Amendment rights.
Board members in Suffolk, Va. say they want to protect students from the rash of bullying-related suicides and other tragedies that have swept schools across the country in recent years, Reuters reported.
If enacted, the proposed dress code would prohibit students in the district’s 19 schools from wearing clothing “not in keeping with a student’s gender“ and that ”causes a disruption and/or distracts others from the education process or poses a health or safety concern.”
Board Vice Chairwoman Thelma Hinton, one of the members behind the ban, told Hampton Roads WAVY-TV her main concern is student safety. She said the issue was brought to her attention by teachers and that she knows of several male students who have worn makeup, wigs and dresses to class.
During a board meeting Thursday, Hinton cited the killing of a 15-year-old cross-dressing California student by another student in 2008 and the suicide of a 14-year-old gay student last year in New York after online bullying, Reuters reported.
“It has nothing to do with a person’s gender — who they are,” Hinton said. “Of course I don‘t want anyone’s rights being violated, but I have done some research.”
The proposal is expected to be put up for a vote in March and if approved would take effect July 1.
The Virginia American Civil Liberties Union is among the groups speaking out against the proposed ban, arguing that any mandate about what a student can and cannot wear violates freedom of expression and is sexually discriminatory.
James Parrish, executive director of Equality Virginia, told Reuters the ban’s language is also far too vague.
“If a girl comes to school wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, is that considered cross-gender dressing?” he said. “They’re calling it cross-dressing, but if that individual was wearing clothes that reflect their gender identity, that’s not cross-dressing, that’s appropriate gender dressing.”
Sean Artis, a senior at King’s Fork High School in Suffolk, told WAVY a former classmate is gay and dressed openly as a woman everyday, but was never a distraction.
“I‘ve talked with the guy and he’s perfectly fine,” Artis added. “There is nothing wrong with him. It’s just the way he feels and if he feels he can express himself that way, he should.”
But Hinton maintained she’s focused on student safety above all, fearing cross-gender dressing students could be targets for violence.
“Freedom of expression is good, but there is a limitation,” she said. “Anytime there is a threat upon a child, to me, that’s where you draw the line of freedom of expression.”
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Comments (77)
Al J Zira
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:51pmLet the cess pools they call schools allow cross dressing. I dould care less. They can have their politically correct BS institutions of liberal lower learning. Home school or send your kids to private schools if possible. Let them drown themselves in their own puke.
Report Post »black9897
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 8:06pmHope my State doesn’t allow this. No that it matters to me, one day (in the far future) my kids will be home schooled , and or sent to private school…I did both, and thankful for it.!!
Report Post »WeDontNeedNoSteenkinBadges10
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 9:41pm“Va. School District Considering Cross-Dressing Ban”
Sorry, VA, but you’ve got it all wrong. You take the little pervs out and stone them … in accordance to The Law:
“A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.” -Deuteronomy 22, Holy Bible
Report Post »Abraham Young
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:07pmSaul Alinsky has a friend, and his name is *************************
State sponsored terrorism is putting kids in prison and indoctrinating them into the gay way – simply for the purpose of antagonizing them to principles of Christian self government.
Parents, don’t let your children grow up to be communists. Teach your children yourselves, your government will not help you.
Report Post »Abraham Young
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 10:08pmI meant to say, Saul Alinsky has a friend and his name is
Report Post »wedontneednosteenkinbadges
2theADDLED
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 12:53amI live in a high rise now for about 9 yrs and still haven’t sexually identified about 10 of my neighbors.
Report Post »Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 10:24am@ 2 The Addled:
Report Post »Is that, somehow, important to you?
2theADDLED
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 5:24pm@ Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Report Post »It certainly creates the proper address to greeting your neighbor.
thegreatcarnac
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:27pmHasn’t the dept. of Education done a good job with our schools?? (deep sarcasm). The government is a total mess and libtrash has taken PC to the nth degree. We need a ‘normalcy’ revolution. We need a return to common sense. We need to jail all liberals.
Report Post »BannedByHuffpo
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:26pmIt’s about time they started making chicks skip wearing slacks, jeans and T-shirts, etc., and get back to wearing dresses or skirts like they’re supposed to.
Report Post »rangerp
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:54pmthe fact that outlawing cross dressing is even a topic lets me know we have gone so far, and down the wrong road, that we most likely will never come back.
I bet the liberals in Rome just thought everything was great when society started to allow homosexuality and all manner of other heathen behaviors. Libs always love evil, and are to blind to see it destroying right before their very eyes.
Report Post »williaml
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:56pmIts NOT the gils in slacks that worry me, it is the boys in dresses that scares me.
Report Post »SFsuper49er
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 9:02amThey will never get back to normal now because of nutty fruitcake lefty entertainers and Hollywood weirdo’s. Now you see why they tried to shame the ignorance in the 50s . Now look! There is no shame now. If you ran out in the street with a dog collar on all fours someone would probably join ya
Report Post »Lesbian Packing Hollow Points
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 10:25am@ William L:
Report Post »If a little boy in a dress makes you fear for your manhood, you must not be very secure in your sexuality.
dawg71
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:12pmAt that age you don’t know what the **** you are….Lets make a confusing time in life even more awkward, weird and uncomfortable in the name of tolerance and social justice…Not just for the kids cross dressing by solidifing and affirming a life style choice which may not even be more than a phase or act of rebellion and the classmates that are going to be uncomfortable being around them…
Report Post »Mathchopper
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:11pmDoes that mean girls won’t be allowed to wear blue jeans?
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:22pmGirls have been wearing jeans since before Ward Cleaver’s time on TV. At least they have in the real America, fly over country. What is your point?
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:53pm@WALKABOUT
Report Post »Before WWII, “slacks” where considered Bold and CrossDressing for women… but Kilts were ok for men!
Walkabout
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 9:10pmlukerw
Our women are tough. When it is time for a square dance, they ‘ll wear a dress. If at at other times they wear slacks, so what.
In the past in west when the horse died, the women pulled the plow. You got treat a spouse that works that hard well. You think a cross dressing male is going to work that hard? He!! no! they already threw in the towel.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 9:12pmlukerw
there was an article about a Muslim activist who came to Colorado in the late 40 s& early 50sd & didn’t like how liberated our women were. Wearing slacks & all. Women have been wearing slacks for a long time.
Try this one: Modesty & Gender
http://whitemail.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 11:36pm@WALKABOUT
Report Post »Spare me the Education… for a period of time that I lived through. You can rewrite history… but it does not change what people thought nor my memory!
notmeatglennbeckdotcom
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:05pmThe fact that they are considering banning it tells you everything you need to know about the Education system in place today.
No wonder we home school.
Report Post »dawg71
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:05pmConsidering? This is actually allowed???.And this is Virginia of all places, how many kids could this actually effect….How uncomfortable can the minority make the majority feel in the name of tolerance?
Report Post »Gman992
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:19pmIF they allow cross-dressing then they should allow the cat-calls and bullying that goes alone with it…
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:28pmWhich Lavatory do they get to use?
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:07pmWTH is wrong with VA. ? Uniform 4 all so they can LEARN , not be cool.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:57pm@SIRFOLDALLOT
Report Post »How about a nice… Chinese… Communist… Uniform… or maybe a Nazi, one? See… it does matter… but it is all based upon Perception!
Walkabout
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 9:15pmUniforms are cool.
You put it on going tot school. You don’t have to think about what you wear to class. You concentrate on class & not clothes. After school, you where street clothes. Easy.
You don’t have to get all histrionic & talk about communist or NAZI uniforms. Just wear what the Catholic schools wear. Or what the Japanese wear. They all have better grades than American public schools.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 11:30pm@WALKABOUT
Sister BoneCrusher… taught Knowledge & Punishment makes a good student… not clothes nor wealth!
Your Catholic School must have been different from mine!
Report Post »disenlightened
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:14pmGod made cross-dressers. They were born that way, don’t you see? Some boys have Ann Taylor build into their DNA. If the school district does something this cruel, what’s next? Are the teachers going to stop having sex with the children? Is that next?
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:23pmMaybe… a Manditory CrossDressing… to force the CrossDressers to NormalDress?
Report Post »We are Americans
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:44pmUniforms for all. Always thought that
Report Post »Keep everyone the same so they can focus
on school. Don’t worry, I’m sure certain teachers
will still have sex with their students. I know
the Catholic bishops are firmly behind that issue.
As long as no birth control is involved.
hi
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:13pmAll types of kids are bullied, not just gay ones as the media would have you believe. In fact, the gays ARE the bullies nowadays.
They should kick the bullies out of school. Let kids wear what they want as long as it is not revealing.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:15pmSo a a male who cross dresses changes in the same locker room with all the other boys & hey are good with that? Is that what you are saying. You have more than one screw loose.
Report Post »DD313
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:53pmJust noticed. King’s Fork High School in Suffolk, VA? That’s Fork King, Suffolking, hilarious!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:18pmlol :)
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:43pmit’s so messed up , what’s happening to society ?
Report Post »&to the parents , what happened to parenting ??????????
ZAP
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:43pmG-strings for everyone ! Are you happy,now
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:52pmSeeThrough Clothing… so we can confirm conformity!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:39pmI need a good laugh… I just want to watch…
Report Post »beachcomber1017
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:38pmWhy even get dress just go to school in you PJ,s that should make everyone happy
Report Post »Cherynn
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:37pmDont ya just love living in a “free country”. The bullies are ok, lets go after the victims. Sorry, no more individuality in America, you will be assimilated,,,,,,,, unless your from a foreign country that is.
Report Post »DD313
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:36pmAllow cross dressing, but require the student and his or her parents sign a waiver absolving the school system of any liability in the event of an incident related to the choice the student has made. The student must use the restroom for their real gender, See how many sign up.
Report Post »mickie4
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 6:27pmThat is a good idea.
Report Post »beachcomber1017
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:30pmCan I come to my school in my PJ,too ?
Report Post »Marengo Ohio Patriot
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:42pmwhy not? after all, that’s how it works in the real world. wear whatever you want ’cause you gots 1st amendment rights. your employer could care less. trust me on this one!
Report Post »TheObamanation
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:30pmFirst ban it … then allow the ban to expire … don‘t ask don’t tell crossdressers
Report Post »burned at edges
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:27pmYay! Burqua’s for all the girls and turbans for all the boys!…sarcasm
I’ll take freedom.
Report Post »burned at edges
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:39pmShe looks like a crossdresser herself. Man she so ugly she just jealous of the cross dressers…lol
http://www.suffolknewsherald.com/2011/07/07/pta-presidents-push-to-make-difference/
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 7:20pmFreedom like Nathan at a wedding party making an a$$ of himself (see the chapter “The Wedding” in Chelsea Handler’s “My Horizontal Life”). Seems to me Nathan, the obnoxious gay guy, did quite a bit of bullying. Just read the book. it shows everything that is wrong with being gay. Bring gay is a mental illness & lifestyle choice.
The kids cross dressing in school have been screwed up by someone or something & the best thing to do would be to get them psychological help.
Report Post »burned at edges
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 8:16pmMaybe a little shock therapy? How bout a labotomy? I tend to agree that a lot of people are the way they are because they got screwed up by somebody else. Sin is a generational condition…the sins of the father are passed onto the son…okay it can be passed on by somebody else also. That is why you bring your kids up to resist temptation and sin, but that does not mean you throw stones at sinners. All we can hope to do is each not sin, or at least sin less than you have seen others do. In that way you lead by example and maybe just maybe future generations will be better than us.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 9:20pmburned at edges
Shock therapy is making a come back, but it is done a little differently than before.
Anyone that would seriously recommend a lobotomy for someone should get one done via lead poisoning.
Actually the worst psychiatrists do nowadays is give people too many drugs (or as described in Chelsea Handler’s book get on with an under age person of the same gender).
Report Post »piper60
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 8:22amskirts and dresses encourage the girls to carry themselves a bit differently-that sharpens the gender differences and encourages the guys to prefer looking like men. If the girls set the example, they’ll also set the rules.
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:24pmthen all students should be allowed to wear whatever they want…to reflect their identity.
bs marxisoccomms—we have read your agenda.
no cros sdres sers , no domi natrix, no bullwhip up the but tocks…
keep your bs out of the classrooms.
Report Post »Baddoggy
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:22pmLet them cross dress. Let them suffer the consequences of thier free speech too.
Bet they stop doing it after a while.
I would stop the other kids from harming them physicaly, but I would allow them to be teased and ridiculed with the opostion free speech. Freedom comes with consequences of your actions…
Report Post »tzion
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:32pmIf a restaurant is allowed to deny service to someone who’s barefoot a school can dictate what someone can wear while in school. Out of school is the students prerogative. After all, if banning cross-dressing violates the constitution, that would mean all dress codes do as well.
Report Post »Git-R-Done
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 9:14pmBut the left doesn’t want that. They want to have their cake and eat it too.
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:22pmthen all students should be allowed to wear whatever they want…to reflect their identity.
bs marxisoccomms—we have read your agenda.
no crossdressers , no dominatrix, no bullwhip up the but tocks
keep your bs out of the classrooms.
Report Post »geonj
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:14pmmore government over reacting.
Report Post »-KACK-
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:13pm“considering” …. so bold.
Report Post »chips1
Posted on February 12, 2012 at 5:26pmMandatory DNA testing? It sort of works for the Olympics. Which team your on is the difference between winning or losing. OOPS! I forgot. It’s illegal to keep score. My bad!!!!
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