Last week, I spoke up about dress code at my kid’s school. Messaging re: “girls being distractions”, etc. I can’t stop thinking about the conversations I’ve had on this. Parents have dm’d me, sharing their kids experiences and women sharing their own experiences. #Thread #bced
2. This isn’t a one school or one district issue. This is something that needs addressing across the board. The ways admin & educators are communicating on this, MUST change. #equity #equality #Feminism
3. Let’s talk about women’s experiences. Once I started developing breasts, I began covering them up. I would cut sleeves off t-shirts, so I didn’t have to explain why I needed tank tops. I was ashamed of my body. I would layer these under my clothes to hide. #growingup #bced
4. My experience involved males looking at my chest, not my eyes. As a tween, this was confusing because I was a kid. So I hid. We could talk about the boys reactions, actions, chatter, etc—but let’s move on. #edutwitter #consent #boyswillbeboys
5. Another woman shared w/ me her experience as a young girl/teen in school. She would have her Mom alter/embellish her shirts, so the bra straps weren’t visible. #Hide #Shame #women
6. My older Sister told me about girls at her school being called “over developed” and being asked to stop wearing t-shirts that were too tight. Essentially, this girl was being ASKED to hide.
7. Language matters and it makes an impact. The messages we send to our girls matter. When we decide that a girl’s body is a distraction and to disguise that distraction, what are we saying? #bced #Communication
8. Asking a girl to adjust their appearance to make a boy’s life easier, is telling that girl they are valued just a little bit less. We are responsible for the shape of our body. The shame, the embarrassment and distraction from OUR education is our burden. #equality #education
9. This is also a disservice to boys. We are programming future generations of men & women to accept or support the systems that perpetuate sexism and misogyny. These systems are imperfect and the opportunity to create change is always present. We must do better. #bced #LetsTalk
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