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Morehouse dress code bans cross-dressing: it's not 'expected in Morehouse men'

by: Pam Spaulding

Sat Oct 17, 2009 at 11:41:58 AM EDT


We are talking about five students who are living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way we do not expect in Morehouse men."
-- Dr. William Bynum, vice president for Student Services

When sweeping statements like this are made, it makes you want to ask Bynum if he knows if there's a difference between gay/trans/cross-dressing, since it's pretty apparent from the ignorant statement that he probably doesn't. (CNN):

An all-male college in Atlanta, Georgia, has banned the wearing of women's clothes, makeup, high heels and purses as part of a new crackdown on what the institution calls inappropriate attire. No dress-wearing is part of a larger dress code launched this week that Morehouse College is calling its "Appropriate Attire Policy."

The policy also bans wearing hats in buildings, pajamas in public, do-rags, sagging pants, sunglasses in class and walking barefoot on campus.

Senior Devon Watson said he disagrees with parts of the new policy, especially those that tell students what they should wear in free time outside of the classroom.

"I feel that there will be a lot of resentment and backlash," Watson said. "It infringes on the student's freedom of expression. I matriculated successfully for three-and-half years dressing so how is this a problem?"

It's one thing to ban droopy drawers and dressing in pajama bottoms on campus because it looks unprofessional, but when you cross into the territory of a blanket statement about gender expression, it's discriminatory. What if a male student shows up for class dressed in a sharp tailored woman's business suit, appropriate footwear, etc? to Bynum, that's equivalent to dressing up like Carmen Miranda with a basket of fruit on her head.

According to the CNN article, Bynum met with the campus gay organization, Morehouse Safe Space, which voted on the policy and overwhelmingly supported it, 27-3. MSS says on its Twitter page that "We are the ONLY LGBT Organization @ Morehouse College. We strive to find an alliance amongst Gay & Straight Students in the AUC." I think it's a safe assumption to say the "T" is there as lip service based on that vote. Given how there's already a lack of affirmation for LGB at many HBCUs, the trans issue is simply not enough on the radar to put up a fight, and that's sad.

An another article (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), Bynum gives additional reasoning for the no-dresses policy that are also revealing and relevant to note.

"This is necessary, this is needed according to the students," he said. "We know the challenges that young African-American men face. We know that how a student dresses has nothing to do with what is in their head, but first impressions mean everything."

It shows you how black (and other POC) trans folk are double damned in their communities -- they are the living hurdle to cultural acceptance and thus are vilified in policies like this.

***

The article also notes that at Hampton University that would enrage me -- students with braids or dreadlocks are encouraged to cut their hair. Again, locs are becoming more acceptable in the workplace, HBCUs are concerned that aside from an afro (I assume it would only find a short one acceptable), that locs and braids even a well groomed styles, are an impediment to employment when one is already dealing with racial discrimination. It's not fair, but I'd have to say, in some parts of the country and some professions, this crap is still true. You have to land the job first, and then see if you can "go natural."

The Morehouse Dress Code Policy is below the fold.

 
Pam Spaulding :: Morehouse dress code bans cross-dressing: it's not 'expected in Morehouse men'

Morehouse College Appropriate Attire Policy
October 2009

Published in The Maroon Tiger

It is our expectation that students who select Morehouse do so because of the College's outstanding legacy of producing leaders. On the campus and at College-sponsored events and activities, students at Morehouse College will be expected to dress neatly and appropriately at all times.

Students who choose not to abide by this policy will be denied admission into class and various functions and services of the College if their manner of attire is inappropriate. Examples of inappropriate attire and/or appearance include but are not limited to:

1. No caps, do-rags and/or hoods in classrooms, the cafeteria, or other indoor venues. This policy item does not apply to headgear considered as a part of religious or cultural dress.

2. Sun glasses or "shades" are not to be work in class or at formal programs, unless medical documentation is provided to support use.

3. Decorative orthodontic appliances (e.g. "grillz") be they permanent or removable, shall not be worn on the campus or at College-sponsored events.

4. Jeans at major programs such as, Opening Convocation, Commencement, Founder's Day or other programs dictating professional, business casual attire, semi-formal or formal attire.

5. Clothing with derogatory, offense and/or lewd messages either in words or pictures.

6. Top and bottom coverings should be work at all times. No bare feet in public venues.

7. No sagging--the wearing of one's pants or shorts low enough to reveal undergarments or secondary layers of clothing.

8. Pajamas, shall not be worn while in public or in common areas of the College.

9. No wearing of clothing associated with women's garb (dresses, tops, tunics, purses, pumps, etc.) on the Morehouse campus or at College-sponsored events.

10. Additional dress regulations may be imposed upon students participating in certain extracurricular activities that are sponsored or organized by the College (e.g. athletic teams, the band, Glee Club, etc).

11. The college reserves the right to modify this policy as deemed appropriate. *All administrative, faculty, students and support staff members are asked to assist in enforcing this policy and may report disregard or violations to the Office of Student Conduct. "

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Am I _ever_ glad I went to Wabash...
Just an FYI for those who may not know, Morehouse is one of only two all-male colleges left in the country.  I went to the other all-male college, Wabash College.

I have met Morehouse college students and researched their rules and regulations.  It seems that the place is dedicated to making "presentable" men out of boys.  They've always had dress codes -- this is no new thing.  Students are expected, both on and off campus, to adhere to basic dress.  This policy change probably stems from a deep-seeded fear on all-male campuses that their college will be perceived as "gay" by other people -- I saw it a lot at Wabash.

The choice to target crossdressers is one that Morehouse has the ability to make.  Whether we like it or not, they work off of private funding; they are free to decide who is and is not allowed on their campus.  People who disagree with the decision are free to stop donating money, attending the college, or, in the case of LGBT sites, publicizing the policy change as loudly as possible.  Changes in their enrollment numbers will push change more than anything else.

However, at this point I gotta give points to my Alma Mater for LGBT acceptance.  Wabash gave students the individual freedom to interpret what was and was not acceptable.  We had one rule: be a gentleman.  (Seriously.  That was it!)  Within this framework we were able to express ourselves in the way we saw fit, even going so far as to drag a couple dozen guys to a costume ball in drag!  Had this Morehouse policy found its way to Wabash, I'd have transferred out in an instant.

If you're looking for an all-male college to attend, Wabash is the best bet.  Plain and simple. ;)  


Clearly...
What if a male student shows up for class dressed in a sharp tailored woman's business suit, appropriate footwear, etc? to Bynum, that's equivalent to dressing up like Carmen Miranda with a basket of fruit on her head.
Clearly, whatever degree Bynum has that 'qualifies' him for his position at Morehouse came from the Knight-Sprigg Institute of ENDA Fallacies.

>^..^<

A few weeks ago...
Morehouse fired an employee for sending discriminatory comments about gay weddings over Morehouse emails. Good - she should have been fired.

BUT...

Now we have this. Same school. Same administration. When the employee was fired a few weeks ago, the president of the college said: "The views expressed in the email...do not reflect the values or policies of Morehouse College."

So now I am confused. I applauded Morehouse's decision a few weeks ago, but I am now left to wonder...Morehouse, what EXACTLY are your values? You are certainly sending mixed signals.  

"I like your Christ, but do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ." ~Gandhi


Targeting the dress of five or so students who are leading a gay lifestyle?

Wow. Targeting the dress of five or so students who are leading a gay lifestyle. Well.

Well, what incredible use of (what GLAAD describes as) offensive terminology by the vice president of Student Services at a historically black collage. And, what a incredible policy that's specifically identified as targeting five or so students at Morehouse College percived to be gay and/or transgender.

Per my usual habit on stories like this one, let me quote Martin Luther King Jr.:

Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: - 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'

It appears to me that at Morehouse College, students and other people who are perceived to be living a gay lifestyle are perceived to be a little less equal than other people.

-----
~~Autumn~~

As if there were safety in stupidity alone.
--Henry David Thoreau


Darn.

Hate the typos. I spelled college as collage? Eep!

-----
~~Autumn~~

As if there were safety in stupidity alone.
--Henry David Thoreau


[ Parent ]
HBCUs are very image conscious and not democratic, this isn't a shock
Call me insensitive but I understand why Morehouse made this policy. They probably felt some individuals were "getting out of hand" and "making us look bad" so they put their foot down.

I have a friend who works in the administration of another HBCU and he sent an email to all the students after he saw people doing their hair in public places on campus instead of their rooms.   He has also been upsset at impromptu dance contests with the "stanky leg" in the middle of campus.

My point is, the administration and parents of the students at HBCUs expect a certain level of "professionalism" from the students that goes beyond going to class.  They are much more likely to get into your business.  It's not like majority-white schools I've attended where they don't care how you present yourself (attire, barefoot, hair color/style, etc) or what you do as long as you pay that tuition.  

Be better, not bitter!


So being transgender, in your mind, is the same as "stanky leg" in the middle of campus?
It's not the same thing, you know. A student who is transgender may choose to wear professional clothes that are appropriate to their gender. As long as the clothes are professional, there should be no problem, according to your logic.

But Morehouse says that there is a problem. They equate being gay or transgender with offensive behavior, and so do you. Don't you see the problem?

Being gay or transgender is not a "lifestyle" or a choice. Deciding to do "stanky leg" in the middle of campus is a lifestyle choice.

Morehouse can tell people to behave professionally and dress professionally, but when they start telling gay and transgender students that their "lifestyle" is offensive then they cross over into discrimination.


[ Parent ]
I didn't say it was the same, nor did I say I supported Morehouse's actions
All I said was I understood why they did it.

Personally, if trans students are wearing "professional" clothes, it should not be a problem for Morehouse, any other school, or a business.

I believe when Morehouse had some controversy about gay students in the past (not the wedding photo email situation), the president of the school said they were trying to be "accepting," but they had a problem with gender non-conformity.   I can't pull up his exact quote, but the feeling I got from them was "it's alright to be gay, but be a man."

That's why I'm not surprised the school would single out cross dressing as an issue.  

Be better, not bitter!


[ Parent ]
I think you make a very important point, which we should all consider
My point is, the administration and parents of the students at HBCUs expect a certain level of "professionalism" from the students that goes beyond going to class.

I don't think we can address this incident without addressing the traditions of HBCUs such as Morehouse or Spelman. They have a history, and self-identity, of producing leaders.  Its something the administrations, and probably alumni, very much want to preserve.

Heteronormativity and gender normativity probably play into that goal.  But I will let persons more familiar with the HBCUs speak to those things.





Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction.

--- Blaise Pascal, Pensées, #894


[ Parent ]
oops.... the above comment was in reply to Anthony






Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction.

--- Blaise Pascal, Pensées, #894


[ Parent ]
Well said, Anthony
Good points Anthony.

However, I would add that if the handful of students truly feel like they are beginning the transition process to the opposite sex, then accommodations should be made for appropriate attire.

Nevertheless, proper attire still applies to them if they are trans.  That means not looking like some Las Vegas street walker in the back of a taxi cab on HBO's Taxi Cab Confessions.  Translation: ditch the mini-skirts, fishnet stockings, 5-inch stiletto heels and bad makeup jobs.

And if they are non-trans gay guys being campy and dressing in drag (like some of my friends did in college) then no accommodations should be made. They are free to attend college elsewhere.

I absolutely agree with the other restrictions on do-rags, bare feet, pajamas (good grief, pajamas?!), baggy pants, and quadruple X-Large t-shirts coming down to their knees.  Very nasty.

We've had this exact problem on Chicago's north side in Boystown on Halsted Street for some time now. The community is starting to clamp down on inappropriate attire, noise and loitering by underage black men who are not from the neighborhood and creating problems and crime. Their attire is exactly what is being banned by this college.

Of course, the left-wing loons will whine about "inclusiveness". They should be ignored.

This college is wise to nip this sooner than later. Bravo.


[ Parent ]
Clarification....
I should have added that there are black men and women in the Boystown community who dress appropriately and agree with this clampdown on improper attire.

[ Parent ]
Inappropriate attire in Boystown?
WTF is that and who gets to decide?

Left-wing loons? Maybe you should go over to Free Republic or Red State where you belong.


[ Parent ]
The community decides
WTF is that and who gets to decide?

The community decides what goes on in their neighborhood. The business owners, homeowners and police. They're banding together and responding to numerous complaints, including unprovoked assaults, theft, vandalism, loitering and hustling.

Left-wing loons? Maybe you should go over to Free Republic or Red State where you belong.

Ah yes, a typical response from someone who is an enabler.

For the record, I'm a law-abiding liberal.

Think clothing has nothing to do with it? Guess again.

http://www.chicagopride.com/ne...

http://hillbuzz.org/2009/08/16...


[ Parent ]
Very true
and young gay black and Latino men are being pulled over by the police in Boystown based on this and the vandalism/crime. To me, it seems as if it has crossing the line into racism.

Mind you, I get along in Boystown just fine, I have absolutely no complaints. Then again I'm older. Then again,

I've been where those kids are at also (albeit on the Christopher Street piers.)  


[ Parent ]
It is outrageous
although, someone made a point, anyone who picks a segregated school should probably not be surprised to find it's not on the cutting edge of embracing diversity.

This is assimilationism.
This is the cultural fear to not make waves, fit in, not stand out in an unacceptable way.

In this case, you have a storied college -- early on set up as a Seminary and teacher's college, to move away from the agricultural work that was promoted by another storied college.

A college where MLK attended, and where student's fought in the civil rights battles, a college where 97% of graduates are offered jobs with Fortune 500 companies.

This is a college where "be a fine, upstanding Black Man" is used to make you toe the line, and where black men who are not so fine and upstanding in their views are used as examples of failure and how "not to be".

This is assimilation.  Dress like the rest, look like the rest, appear to be someone "they" like, appease the people that sit on you.

This is the sort of place that is used to tell young gay men who are Black and free that "you do not belong" unless you act reasonably and look properly.

They absolutely have the right to do such.

But for those supporting the decision, be aware that in doing so you are also supporting a destructive policy that affects lives far beyond the campus of the college.

It destroys a sense of individual pride, destroys a bit of creativity, destroys a bit of personal freedom.

It destroys the bond of race in a world where race still matters.

And in this particular case, it furthers the discrimination against LGBT folks by saying all the same things.

It destroys the root of a principle many of us in the community cling to, others give lip service to, and some outright think is stupid:

Be yourself.

http://www.dyssonance.com  Breaking all the rules...


I'll be sure to ask about this
when the president of the college comes to town on Tuesday night.

It's an all male school
I do agree that in general the community needs to be more attentive and inclusive to the T in GLBT, however I do not understand the issue here.  

It is an all male school.  The dress code seems to be in line with that fact.  The school has a gay organization and the organization voted in favor of the changes to the code.  

I don't think a person who identifies as female should attend an all male school.  In regards to cross-dressing, the school's dress code is only being applied to public areas on campus and any of the (again) all male college activities on or off campus.

On the other hand, I will admit that I cannot imagine an all female school stating their students could not wear trousers, or forcing them to wear make-up (maybe even having long hair?).  In this regard, I would have to know what the previous dress code was--as it appears they had one.  

My guess is that all students attending this school were well aware of the expectations that would be placed on them.  I think this is evident in the fact that their gay organization voted overwhelmingly in favor of the more specific code.

All of this said, my problem with Dr. Bynum's quote is that he assumes all cross-dressers "are living a gay lifestyle".  That is simply not true.


Denial
Many trans people in denial will try to act in a stereotypical way that they perceive to be how they're supposed to act.

It's understandable that they would enroll in an all male school to try to be the men that society expects them to be.


[ Parent ]
Yeah, well
I think UD has already defeated Morehouse this year.

Crossdressing
First of all crossdressing does NOT mean you are gay! Mostly straight men are crossdressers. You would think coming from a professor he would know better!!

[ Parent ]
Dress code scandal
Morehouse College has become the subject of an intensifying national debate. Students have had mixed reactions to the new policies that were recently released. Private universities can more or less decide their own policies, which attract negative attention at times, such as dress code policy, and a recent stink began over the Morehouse College dress code.  The Morehouse College dress code forbids a man to wear anything resembling women's clothing - although one wonders how it's a problem.  The reason why that Morehouse College is one of the few men's colleges in the U.S., meaning no women attend.  (Then why go?)  The Morehouse College dress code isn't much of a scandal - it's just requiring students to take their appearance seriously, but at what point are huge personal loans for an education worth less effort due to ridiculous rules for attending?

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