Another example of students wearing ties in protest – this time at the San Francisco Catholic school Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, in support of a classmate who had been banned from the yearbook for wearing a tuxedo.
Jessica Urbina wore a tuxedo for her senior photo, violating the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s policy that female students wear dresses in their yearbook photos.
Since the protest, the school has since apologized to the student, and they say they will re-evaluate the policy. They make a point in the apology to be more open towards gay and lesbian students, which is excellent.
It also may be a good time to evaluate why we have such decisive rules towards gendered dressing in the first place, regardless of sexual orientation. As ACLU spokeswoman Rebecca Farmer tweeted, “students shouldn’t be forced to conform to outdated gender norms.”
