Poll: Do you think I stand a chance?

orangeban

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So Escapist, lately at my school, I've been organizing a petition. The aim of the petition is to get a gender-neutral uniform put in place. Currently, girls have to wear skirts and boys trousers (along with various other differences), but I hope to change that. Ideally I want a system where you can pick and choose between either uniform, but I'd also settle for a single gender-neutral uniform. I plan to send this petition to the powers-that-be in my school, along with a letter detailing my arguments, these arguments being:

1) Sex-specific uniform is sexist, because it encourages treating the sexes differently, and it splits the school into two factions and discourages socialisation between the two.
2) Sex-specific uniform discriminates against transgendered pupils and forces them to conform with their birth-assigned sex.
3) To deny certain clothing to some pupils because of their random event at their birth, is discriminatory.

If you want to know more details, I go to a private Scottish school, my petition has about 100 signatures in a school with around 800 kids, and this kinda thing is unprecedented.

What do you think?

Edit: Thought of a way to make my points better.

1) Not only does it divide pupils, but it encourages people to look at and treat the two sexes differently.
2) By having a gender-neutral uniform, this firstly de-emphasises genders importance so a transgendered/gender-confused pupil would feel less self-conciouss about it all, and it would make it easier for them to experiment.

Double Edit: Please note that what I really want is a system where you can pick certain items of clothing from either of the current uniforms. I do not want a single gender-neutral uniform, but I'd prefer that to the current system.
 

michiehoward

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As you go to a privately funded school the odds are stacked against you. So good luck, and get as many sigs as you can.
 

orangeban

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michiehoward said:
As you go to a privately funded school the odds are stacked against you. So good luck, and get as many sigs as you can.
Yeah, that's what I thought, though thank-you anyway.
 

Pearwood

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Mar 24, 2010
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Just do your best getting signatures, it's worth trying to do something cause I agree with it. Plus wearing a skirt in a Scottish winter can't be comfortable...

If it doesn't go well I'd recommend going to a local newspaper about it, schools are absolutely terrified of any bad publicity at all and this is the kind of thing that might get attention.
 

RagTagBand

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I'd say you have little to no chance as schools tend not to give a shit what pupils want or think, you'd have far better luck if your signatures were from parents or members of staff.

Secondly I think that the charges you bring against differentiating uniform are somewhat trumped up, if not repetitive.
 

orangeban

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RagTagBand said:
Secondly I think that the charges you bring against differentiating uniform are somewhat trumped up, if not repetitive.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not acting as if this is some great injustice, really this whole thing is just an experiment to see if it's possible. Though I do care about the issue.
 

Knight Captain Kerr

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Student Mouncil's are like the third estate, they are in the majority but have pretty much no power. Still I wish you the best of luck, I support gender neutral uniforms.
 

ms_sunlight

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Pearwood said:
Just do your best getting signatures, it's worth trying to do something cause I agree with it. Plus wearing a skirt in a Scottish winter can't be comfortable...
OI! You forget who you're talking about here. Some Scottish men wear kilts in the Scottish winter, letting their tenderest of parts dangle in the worst of the elements. You don't think Scottish women can stand the cold at least as well?

For what it's worth, when I was at school in Scotland I wore a uniform with a skirt, and I did tend to swap my usual over-the-kee socks for thick tights in the winter. I don't think I would have wanted to wear trousers, to be honest, and I still wear mostly skirts and dresses to this day. Choice is always better.
 

Wushu Panda

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orangeban said:
So Escapist, lately at my school, I've been organizing a petition. The aim of the petition is to get a gender-neutral uniform put in place. Currently, girls have to wear skirts and boys trousers (along with various other differences), but I hope to change that. Ideally I want a system where you can pick and choose between either uniform, but I'd also settle for a single gender-neutral uniform. I plan to send this petition to the powers-that-be in my school, along with a letter detailing my arguments, these arguments being:

1) Sex-specific uniform is sexist, because it encourages treating the sexes differently, and it splits the school into two factions and discourages socialisation between the two.
2) Sex-specific uniform discriminates against transgendered pupils and forces them to conform with their birth-assigned sex.
3) To deny certain clothing to some pupils because of their random event at their birth, is discriminatory.

If you want to know more details, I go to a private Scottish school, my petition has about 100 signatures in a school with around 800 kids, and this kinda thing is unprecedented.

What do you think?

Edit: Thought of a way to make my points better.

1) Not only does it divide pupils, but it encourages people to look at and treat the two sexes differently.
3) By having a gender-neutral uniform, this firstly de-emphasises genders importance so a transgendered/gender-confused pupil would feel less self-conciouss about it all, and it would make it easier for them to experiment.
I think trying to change the uniform policy like this in a private school is futile, and your reasons for doing so are BS and even a great deal more futile. Do what millions of other private school kids before you and suck it up.
 

ultrachicken

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Dec 22, 2009
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You sound like you're making a very big deal out of little issues, and are quite redundant in your reasoning, but I still think this is a worthy cause. I don't think they should be restricting uniforms based on gender like that.

RagTagBand said:
I'd say you have little to no chance as schools tend not to give a shit what pupils want or think, you'd have far better luck if your signatures were from parents or members of staff.
This. Student signatures are helpful, but staff signatures will have much more of an impact.
 
Feb 9, 2011
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Since it is a private school, I don't think you stand much of a chance, but I wish you the best of luck regardless. If it was a public school, I think you'd stand a better chance of changing the rules.
 

mad825

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Mar 28, 2010
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How about making skirts optional? What about making kilts being optional? In my opinion, this is another typical example of political correctness gone mad.

Making anything "gender neutral" is futile, boys will always want to be boys and girls will want to be girls. You cannot force major differences together as this in-itself will create a division.

1) Sex-specific uniform is sexist, because it encourages treating the sexes differently, and it splits the school into two factions and discourages socialisation between the two.
2) Sex-specific uniform discriminates against transgendered pupils and forces them to conform with their birth-assigned sex.
Has anyone hit puberty at your school? The opposite will treat each other differently and have prejudged expectations because of their sex regardless. You know, because of sexual feels that they will experience.

Gee, male getting nervous in-front of female. Who would EVER think of that??
 

orangeban

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Nov 27, 2009
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mad825 said:
How about making skirts optional? What about making kilts being optional? In my opinion, this is another typical example of political correctness gone mad.

Making anything "gender neutral" is futile, boys will always want to be boys and girls will want to be girls. You cannot force major differences together as this in-itself will create a division.

1) Sex-specific uniform is sexist, because it encourages treating the sexes differently, and it splits the school into two factions and discourages socialisation between the two.
2) Sex-specific uniform discriminates against transgendered pupils and forces them to conform with their birth-assigned sex.
Has anyone hit puberty at your school? The opposite will treat each other differently and have prejudged expectations because of their sex regardless.
But you shouldn't encourage differences surely, in fact we should try to minimise differences, have pupils treat each other as humans.

And I don't care if even after we make it gender-neutral all the girls still wear kilts and all the boys wear trousers, as long as they have the choice.
 

orangeban

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Wushu Panda said:
orangeban said:
So Escapist, lately at my school, I've been organizing a petition. The aim of the petition is to get a gender-neutral uniform put in place. Currently, girls have to wear skirts and boys trousers (along with various other differences), but I hope to change that. Ideally I want a system where you can pick and choose between either uniform, but I'd also settle for a single gender-neutral uniform. I plan to send this petition to the powers-that-be in my school, along with a letter detailing my arguments, these arguments being:

1) Sex-specific uniform is sexist, because it encourages treating the sexes differently, and it splits the school into two factions and discourages socialisation between the two.
2) Sex-specific uniform discriminates against transgendered pupils and forces them to conform with their birth-assigned sex.
3) To deny certain clothing to some pupils because of their random event at their birth, is discriminatory.

If you want to know more details, I go to a private Scottish school, my petition has about 100 signatures in a school with around 800 kids, and this kinda thing is unprecedented.

What do you think?

Edit: Thought of a way to make my points better.

1) Not only does it divide pupils, but it encourages people to look at and treat the two sexes differently.
3) By having a gender-neutral uniform, this firstly de-emphasises genders importance so a transgendered/gender-confused pupil would feel less self-conciouss about it all, and it would make it easier for them to experiment.
I think trying to change the uniform policy like this in a private school is futile, and your reasons for doing so are BS and even a great deal more futile. Do what millions of other private school kids before you and suck it up.
But why? Why shouldn't I at least make an attempt, stand up and tell them that I don't agree with them?
 

mad825

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orangeban said:
But you shouldn't encourage differences surely, in fact we should try to minimise differences, have pupils treat each other as humans.

And I don't care if even after we make it gender-neutral all the girls still wear kilts and all the boys wear trousers, as long as they have the choice.
They will do it themselves anyhow. let them live a life instead of bombarding them with red tape.
 

orangeban

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mad825 said:
orangeban said:
But you shouldn't encourage differences surely, in fact we should try to minimise differences, have pupils treat each other as humans.

And I don't care if even after we make it gender-neutral all the girls still wear kilts and all the boys wear trousers, as long as they have the choice.
They will do it themselves anyhow. let them live a life instead of bombarding them with red tape.
How is this anything to do with red tape? If anything, it's removing red tape by giving them more freedom and choice in their uniform, less restrictions.

Besides, at least two of my friends would rather wear trousers than kilts. Why should we deny them the choice just because of a random event at their birth?
 

mad825

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orangeban said:
How is this anything to do with red tape? If anything, it's removing red tape by giving them more freedom and choice in their uniform, less restrictions.

Besides, at least two of my friends would rather wear trousers than kilts. Why should we deny them the choice just because of a random event at their birth?
So why is it called "gender neutral"?...Whatever, all the school I've been to (in England) don't have this problem.
 

orangeban

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mad825 said:
orangeban said:
How is this anything to do with red tape? If anything, it's removing red tape by giving them more freedom and choice in their uniform, less restrictions.

Besides, at least two of my friends would rather wear trousers than kilts. Why should we deny them the choice just because of a random event at their birth?
So why is it called "gender neutral"?...Whatever, all the school I've been to (in England) don't have this problem.
Look at my original post, what I say is that I want a system where you can pick and choose between the uniforms, but I was willing to settle for a single gender-neutral uniform. I want people to have choice, but I'd settle for something not sexist.