Life

Feminist Yearbook Quote Mocks Sexist Dress Codes

by Kat George

Feminist yearbook quotes are so hot right now. Like this perfect example from bad ass senior, Chloe Cross, who used her yearbook quote calling out dress codes to make a pertinent point about the policing of women's bodies and clothing choices. Cross wrote, "I would just like to apologize to those who were unable to graduate with the class of 2015 because they were too distracted by my midriff and consequently failed all of their classes! xoxo". Controversy seems to occur regularly wherein women, even teenage women, are told what they can and cannot wear in order to be acceptable to the world around them.

Schools have especially been in the media recently with sexist decision after sexist decision, leaving young girls and their parents maddened by the unnecessary shame placed on womanhood. Telling young girls what not to wear also forces an extreme sexuality upon them, which they first, they might not even be aware of or ready for, and second, puts an unfair burden on women that promotes victim blaming by implying that that sexuality is somehow uncouth. Women, as we know, should be free to present themselves as they choose without fear of prejudice or harm. How far we have yet to go! Here's Cross's awesome quote, that satirically points out that it's not a woman's fault if her body causes issue with anyone else. Keep showing your midriff, Chloe Cross!

I remember being in high school and on our last day, the school threw a dress up party where we had to dress as something beginning with the letter "S". My best friend and I went as "showgirls", and our outfits were sexy, but our feathered skirts covered our bikini areas, and our vintage style corsets covered our entire midriff and breasts. We got in a lot of trouble. Meanwhile, a group of boys went as the Spice Girls, and all of them were either topless or in leotards that barely covered their balls and cut up the back of their asses. One guy's nuts literally kept falling out the side of the swimsuit he was wearing. And no one batted an eye. That was 12 years ago, so good to see that progress has been made (sense the sarcasm).

Here are some more recent and horrible examples of schools policing women's bodies and clothing choices:

1. Devils Lake High School

Last year, Devils Lake High School in North Dakota banned girls from wearing leggings, yoga pants and any other tight pants because they are "too distracting".

2. Muskegon High School

This year, Muskegon High School in Michigan sent home a female student from prom for wearing a dress that "violated" dress codes, even though it didn't break a single one of the school's rules, and the school refused to declare why the dress was found offensive. (It was a beautiful, stylish, classy dress.)

3. A Virginia high school

A teen in Virginia was kicked out of her prom last year, because chaperoning dads thought her dress would cause "impure thoughts" (creepy dads, much?).

4. Bigerville High School

Female students at Biglerville High School in Pennsylvania were this year instructed not to be too fat for their prom dresses in a dress code regulations sheet that was distributed by the school.

5. Cherryville High School

Last year a female student was kicked out of her prom at North Carolina school Cherryville High for wearing red pants, even though the school didn't have a dress code for the dance.

Images: Getty Images; Giphy(5)