Dear Editor, 

     I’ve seen too many girls get pulled out of class and up to a dean’s office because of our unfair dress code. The cheerleaders aren’t even allowed to wear their uniforms to school, yet I’ve virtually lost count of the guys I’ve witnessed strutting down the halls shirtless and unafraid. To put it simply, this is sexist.  When we allow this to happen, we are teaching all of these young girls that pandering to a “distraction free” work environment for men is more important than their individual education. Our education is just as important as everyone else’s and what we wear does not change that. Administration needs to stop telling girls how to dress and start teaching everyone to respect everyone no matter how they look. We should be setting an example & teaching everyone that girls are not sexual objects, but instead, our restrictive dress code promotes misogyny, fosters the sexualization of young bodies, and excuses sexist behavior. It blames the wearer for the perceptions and actions of the viewer. We are 13-18 year old girls– if you are sexualizing us then it’s very simple that you are the problem, not us. What a girl wears does not delegate her intelligence or the respect she deserves from others. We need change. 

Sincerely, 

A concerned student