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Originally Posted by Senusret I
Elizabeth Gates expresses my opposition to this better than I ever could. Frank Leon Roberts, too.
And no, just because it is a private college does NOT mean it can "do anything it wants."
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I read both articles. They were both good articles, but I disagree. While being a private school does not allow Morehouse to do anything that they want they can do almost anything they want. The dress code definitely falls in to that arena to me. While as a student I am staunchly opposed to uniforms I have no problems with dress codes as some things are inappropriate.
To suggest that Morehouse's banning women's clothing (and other items) is
"nothing short of a reversal of the ethical sensibility of Dr. King, who warned us repeatedly about the ruse of the exterior (color, gender, etc.) over the more substantive interior (intelligence, character, integrity)." [Roberts] is absurd. Race and Gender are not in any way equal to clothing. Discriminating against someone based on something they have NO choice in is entirely different from preventing someone from wearing inappropriate attire (at a private place of business no less).
The issue of the dress code is not a limitation of the rights of a person (it is a limitation on their freedom to dress as they please). It seeks to bring order to the classroom and campus. If you're going to mold the leading men of tomorrow then it is your duty to ensure that they know how and when to dress properly. If a man goes for an interview at any leading company in a dress and pumps I am quite sure he will meet disapproval. In presenting himself he also represents Morehouse as that would be where he attends or attended school. It would make Morehouse look bad as well. The point is that the classroom is a place of business and the school has the right to create rules and policies that govern it as such (as do all private entities).
As to the issue of discouraging young black men who would like to express themselves via wearing women's clothes or other clothes that are inappropriate I think it should be discouraged in the class room only. Anything that is to the detriment of others is typically forbidden and I think that is fair. Sitting in class with a man in a dress and heels is distracting for everyone in the room. Because it is detrimental to the purpose of the school it should not be allowed.
My problem with this is that I do not feel the university is doing enough to express that anything done on your own time is fine. By banning the dresses and women's wear it does seem to some to be giving an OK for others to ridicule men who express themselves that way. The University should make it known that it has no problem with students wearing these items outside of the classroom as a precaution and as a show of support for individuality of its students when it doesn't interfere with the purpose of the university.
I am not ignoring the fact that homophobia is real and harmful. The men at Morehouse have the double whammy of being in the south and in a black community two of the most notoriously homophobic groups. The reality is that a great many of Morehouse's affiliates have negative views on homosexuality and some of that has compelled the recent dress code change. I do not however believe that their expression of their homophobia (via the dress code) was unjust or unwarranted. I do not mean to say that their homophobia is warranted or just because it could never be. I mean that though their homophobia is disgusting and unfortunate it has not caused a detriment to those who it intended to. The dress code, while likely created by homophobes, is reasonable. It has been cloaked by the addition of Du-rags, pj's, and other items, but I do recognize that it is there. The fight against homophobia will never be won if this dress code (and things like it) is used as the example because it is justified.