Skirts And Pumps Are Only For Girls, College Tells Male Students

Last year, all-male Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia made some changes to its dress code. Students at the historically black college discovered they were now forbidden from wearing dresses, tops, tunics, purses or pumps -- really, anything that makes a man not look like one.

Morehouse College called it a just and minor part of their "Appropriate Attire Policy" instituted at the beginning of last school year. Others called it the last straw.

Vibe Magazine spoke with one student who no longer calls himself a Morehouse man and is seeking to get his education elsewhere. Part of  the openly gay population on campus  and its sub-culture of cross-dressers, he told Vibe that he now feels understandably out of place. The policy, which the college's gay organization voted on and passed, was and still is controversial. The punishment is heavy-handed: If the code is broken, a student can and will be suspended.

Morehouse's policy is troubling to an A student who happens to tote a purse. It puts limits on not only self-expression, but self-identity. Just this week, a student from George Washington University became the first transgender Division I athlete. Women's basketball player Kye Allums was granted the opportunity to be called a man by his university. His decision to no longer be seen as a woman was not scrutinized by his school, nor was it celebrated. He was simply allowed to be what he always was -- a student.

The bravery it took to get to that point came from a supportive movement, both within GWU and outside of the educational institution. While I'm sure there are people on campus who take exception to his transformation, nothing about it will inhibit his ability to excel on the collegiate level.

Schools need to be responsive to the needs and desires of their students. And while issues concerning sexuality and/or identity can be complex and uncomfortable, saying "no" is just too easy.

Morehouse wants students who embody the definition of an "esteemed black man." For them, that identity seems impossible to reach while wearing high heels. But Historically Black Colleges and Universities were founded themselves out of necessity and pride. Their creation meant that African Americans had a place to go for education and cultural acceptance. How ironic that the cross-dressers at Morehouse remain closeted as they struggle to find acceptance in their academic home.

Photo credit: Paul and Jill via Flickr