Education

Girl Plans Protest Of ‘Sexist’ Dress Code By Wearing Pantsuits To State Event

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Amber Randall Civil Rights Reporter
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A female student in Utah plans to wear a pantsuit at an upcoming statewide American Legion event to protest its “sexist” dress code, according to Wednesday reports.

The 2017 American Legion’s Boys and Girls State program, a summer event for high school students, sent out a list of acceptable clothes for male and female participants to wear, reports KUTV.

One student, Chloe Collins, is angered the program prevents girls from wearing pantsuits. She plans to wear a pantsuit in protest, but change into something else if the program makes a big deal about it.

“I will abide by their dress code, but I will be fighting it,” Collins told 2News.

Girls are prevented from wearing pantsuits, short dresses or skirts, and belly baring shirts. Girls must wear a t-shirt under spaghetti strap tank tops and shirts with sleeves that are at least a hand-wide.

The American Legion Auxiliary’s Utah State program gathers high school student for a week to participate in a political program.

A Utah community activist called the dress code “sexist.”

“I just thought that that was ridiculous. What kind of message are we sending to young women that they have to adhere to standards that have been around for 70 years?” Sarah Scott, the activist, said. “I just thought, how sexist. This is 2017. I can go up on Capitol Hill, and you see women, galore, in pants suits.”

Boys also have a dress code, but not one as extensive as female students. Boys were told to wear trousers and shoes and socks.

The American Legion Auxiliary National Headquarters said that it does not regulate dress codes or activities for each of the state’s ALA Girls State program.

“However, the topic of dress codes will be brought up for discussion at the next ALA Girls State Leadership Conference in the fall. This conference cannot require such changes to each state’s program, but provides the opportunity for states to share and compare how each addresses the subject,” the organization said to The Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement.

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Tags : utah
Amber Randall