Juan Reyna is non-binary, which means they are not exclusively masculine or feminine. They submitted their yearbook photo where they had long hair, but Sharyland Pioneer didn't accept it due to line 1 of the boy's student dress code where hair length must pass a three-way test.

This is firstly discriminatory on a gender basis because Reyna is not male. Non-binary is a transgender identity that is respected across Native American cultures and has existed far before colonization. Given that Sharyland Pioneer exists in a region where most of the population is indigenous or detribalized native (mestizo, Latinx, etc.), it is disrespectful and transphobic to enforce colonial gender roles on students.

Secondly, the three-way test does not apply to girls. If a female student wanted her hair long or short, Sharyland Pioneer would not stop this. If a male student wanted his hair long or short, Sharyland Pioneer would dictate that it can only be short. This is sexist in nature because it supports the idea that it's acceptable for girls to be masculine, but it's disgraceful for boys to be feminine. This same logic is used in schools where girls can wear vests, suits, or pants, but boys are banned from wearing makeup, dresses, or skirts. Any dress code that enforces this protects the idea that femininity is inherently shameful.

Finally, referring back to the fact that Sharyland Pioneer is made of mainly indigenous students, the history of forcing native children to cut their long hair is deeply racist. Forcing native children to conform to colonial standards was and still is a tactic to erase our culture.

To reference "Blood Oranges: Colonialism and Agriculture in the South Texas Borderlands", John H. Shary built his citrus empire on indigenous land and off the backs of poor native workers, benefitting from the racism that our people experienced every day. Sharyland ISD must move away from this discriminatory past, and this includes a gender-neutral dress code that is inclusive respectful of the indigenous population.