Utah school forces student to change out of kilt
WEST HAVEN, Utah – The principal of a Utah middle school has been asked to apologize for forcing a kilt-wearing student to change his clothes.
Weber School District spokesman Nate Taggart says Craig Jessop has been asked to extend an apology to 14-year-old student Gavin McFarland of Hooper after the school official's comments Wednesday.
Gavin says he wore the kilt twice in the past two weeks to Rocky Mountain Junior High as a prop for an art project. Jessop told the boy that the outfit could be misconstrued as cross-dressing.
Taggart says the district recognizes the kilt as an expression of the boy's Scottish heritage and that the kilt was not inappropriate.
Kilts are traditional Scottish apparel generally worn by men for formal or special occasions.
Now, I have two dear friends from Scotland and they had a very traditional Scottish wedding with him wearing his family tartan following a long historic tradition of all Scotsmen that I suspect even some pinhead in Utah must know about even if he hasn’t seen Braveheart.More disturbing was the comment by the principal that this could be misconstrued as cross dressing. So what? You know, our young people, by the time they are in high school, are no longer the innocent babes that need our constant vigilance for fear they might be “exposed” to the world around them.
If we want responsible young adults, capable of navigating successfully through a complex and ever changing world, would they not be better served by allowing them to decide what they find acceptable or not?
We can only hope the Jessops of the world will fade away to make room for wiser, more compassionate and more intelligent replacement.
" wiser, more compassionate and more intelligent replacement."
ReplyDeleteHey, not in Florida. We'll never allow you Libs to spit on Jesus that way.
LOL, Fogg, but this kid was only wearing a skirt; didn't Jesus wear a dress? No doubt this guy would be sending Jesus home to change...
ReplyDeleteLast year, my oldest daughter married a young man who covered himself in one of those Middle Girth cloths. All through the reception, answers to this were going around: WHY DO SCOTS WEAR KILTS?
ReplyDeleteAnswers:
My Scottish pride.
My shoes and socks.
Nothing is worn, everything is in perfect working order.
A man to a woman: How warm are your hands?
A man to a woman: Play your cards right and you can find out.
A man to a woman: Me mother once told me a real lady wouldn't ask.
A man to a woman: Tell me madam, would you go jogging without a bra?
To another man: Same as you, only bigger.
To a woman: If I'm lucky, your lipstick.
(Two versions English and Scottish)
Scottish: Because my wife can hear a zipper a mile away
English: Because a sheep can hear a zipper a mile away.
I'm going to a wedding in Edinburgh this Autumn and I will be sure to bring this with me.
ReplyDeleteRocky - this all makes me wonder how many schools across the country would prevent a student from attending due to cross-dressing. Cross dressing is an interesting, somewhat antiquated phrase if you think about it. According to the history of patriarchy in the west, women cross dress all the time. But I guess this is ok now because we are trying to act like men - the preferred sex - by dressing in pants. But when men/boys dress in skirts - acting like women - the NOT so preferred sex - then there seems to be a problem. I believe its called homophobia.
ReplyDeleteSquid - I also perceived this to be an incidence of homophobia. If the lad was in fact cross dressing, I wonder if the school board would have demanded the principal apologize.
ReplyDeleteI wore a kilt my Mom made out of falnnel shirts in a golf tournament once. Ididn't want to wear knickers and be accused of copying Payne Stewart.
ReplyDeleteI didn't play particularly well but everyone thought it was pretty neat.
This really has nothing to do with the subject Rocky. I just like remembering stuff my Mom did for me now and then.
Actually, TRUTH, I think your comment fits the subject matter well. I'm glad your Mom did that special thing for you and so you have a wonderful memory of the day you wore a kilt to play golf.
ReplyDeleteWould you feel any less joy if someone had called it a skirt?
It seems so much emphasis is put on what people show on the outside and from that judgements are made without regard to the person within.
TRUTH, you can show up at my house with pink hair, a flowered skirt and clown shoes and I promise you, I will sit down to have a chat BEFORE I decide if you are certifiable or not.
If I wasn't already happily married I probably would Rocky.
ReplyDeleteMy wife is above all, a good sport.
What, she won't let you play dress up?
ReplyDeleteAh. Cross-dressing. I remember being invited to a formal occasion at a Boston hotel, and wearing the Italian tailored tuxedo I had just purchased at a local vintage clothing store. I wore a raspberry pink bow tie and cumerbund, black patent leather shoes with pink bows.
ReplyDeleteOne of the guests came up to me and said in his best stentorian voice, "The invitation said white tie, NOT pink!"
The men who invited me to dance looked a tad bit uncomfortable, since from the guests' tables it appeared they were MAN DANCING!!!!
LOL!
ROFL!!! Too funny, Shaw!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing what significance we put on what after all is only fashion and transitory?
ReplyDeleteIt may be my advancing years, but I don't seem to remember Moses coming down from the mountain with anything about gender-specific clothing styles and Christ only knows - Jesus didn't wear blue jeans, but people with pigeon brains will have their pigeon holes.
We may call it homophobia but you can't deny the role stupidity and ignorance play here.
I got my collection of flannel shirts. She has her collection of flannel nighties.
ReplyDeleteThe outfit Shaw described sounds stimulating. I think I could get her to try that one night when the kids are gone. Thanks Shaw.