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feminism: you're doing it wrong

Some of my AP students on the track team were discussing their team drama.  It's been hot this week, so the girls tried to take off their t-shirts and run in their sportbras.  They were told by our athletic director that's a no-no.  I understand why: they're minors and representing the school / part of a school function. 

The girls were telling me they're upset that the boys get to run with their shirts off.  They tried to approach the AD, and the AD told them it's how boys are or some such thing.

I can't decide whether I should be amused at them thinking thinking it's sexist that they can't take their shirts off or exasperated at the AD for allowing 2 sets of rules to apply to the boys' and girls' teams.

 

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Re: feminism: you're doing it wrong

  • I'm with the girls, to an extent. If the AD said, too much skin is inappropriate for this age, and the boys can't do it either, I would say OK. Makes sense. It isn't the Olympics, its high school, that makes sense.

    But if you're making the argument that there's a reason for men to run shirtless in athletics (anyone ever see bloody man nipples at road races?), then that rule should also apply to the women, provided they are wearing sufficiently appropriate sports bras.

    As an aside, what a fun opportunity to engage with your students about this stuff!

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  • What do the cheerleading uniforms look like?

    I forever be on the "stupid double standard" side.  If a boy can reveal his stomach, why not a girl? 

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  • imageSibil:

    I forever be on the "stupid double standard" side.  If a boy can reveal his stomach, why not a girl? 

    Completely agree. How unfair. 

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  • imageSibil:

    What do the cheerleading uniforms look like?

    I forever be on the "stupid double standard" side.  If a boy can reveal his stomach, why not a girl? 

    no stomachs on the cheerleaders, but the skirts are absurd. I will say only this: the cheerleaders are all tumbling and aerial stunts, so this might be safety related. No stomachs, though.
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  • Yeah, I don't think "because girls and boys are different" is almost ever a valid excuse. But at the same time, taking your shirt off probably isn't a great idea. Hmm.
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  • imagemsmerymac:
    Yeah, I don't think "because girls and boys are different" is almost ever a valid excuse. But at the same time, taking your shirt off probably isn't a great idea. Hmm.

    I agree but then it immediately brought to mind Brandi Chastain and that great picture of her celebrating the World Cup win.  But that's probably not what your AP students were doing.

    Are they making a case to the AD about the double standard?

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  • Pro-runners use barely more than a sports bra.  But, I get that it's high school, so it is different.  Just admit that it's a double standard, but it's not changing.

    I grew up in Florida, so it doesn't phase me to see women running in sports bras.  It's pretty much the standard.

    Do you have swimming at your school?  We had no rule that women had to wear a one piece in PE.  Of course, we weren't competitive swimmers, but we were in the pool a lot and could wear whatever we wanted.  This was in a private school with a fairly strict dress code. 

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  • I'm on their side. I got ticked about the same issue when I ran cross country in high school. Make the boys keep their da$n shirts on, too. It's not and was not my job to cover myself to keep the poor boys from being distraced, and on the other side of the coin, teenage boys sans shirts had the exact same effect on us ladies as it did the other way around.

    No double standard. Shirts for all or no shirts for all. Running while hot sucks.

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