There are many sexist dress-code rules at our school, and I have noticed that girls are often the ones who get dress-coded. I rarely see boys get dress-coded, while it seems like girls are frequently punished for what they wear.

Some people may say that showing shoulders or wearing tank tops is “distracting” to boys. However, girls have been dress-coded for wearing tank tops even when it is almost 100 degrees outside. Our dress code says “no thin strap tank tops or spaghetti straps” and that “shorts must be knee length (for girls only),” which makes it seem like girls are being singled out and sexualized for their clothing. Boys are often allowed to wear tank tops, so why are girls treated differently for wearing similar clothing?

When girls are dress-coded, they may be pulled out of class and sent to the office. Their parents may have to bring them a change of clothes, or they may have to get different clothes from a storage room at school. This can be embarrassing and can cause students to miss class time.

Why are girls the ones who seem to be targeted by these dress-code rules? Students should be able to dress comfortably, especially in hot weather, without being treated differently because of their gender.

Some people may worry that without a dress code, students might wear inappropriate clothing. However, parents and guardians should be able to help decide what is appropriate for their children. The school should not have rules that unfairly target girls or make them responsible for other people’s distractions.

We need your help! Please share and support this petition so we can work toward removing unfair and sexist dress-code rules at our school. Everyone deserves to be treated equally.