Gender-Neutral Dress Code a First for PEA
In a landmark decision this Monday, Exeter’s faculty passed a proposal that will significantly alter the parameters of the Academy’s historically gender binary dress code. The effort to change the dress code began at the close of last year and continued through the 2014-15 academic year. The efforts of Student Council (StuCo) brought about the change and the new gender neutral dress code will take effect on June 1 of this year.
“I think that concerns about the pressure that a gendered dress code puts on non-binary gender people really brought this issue to a head. I do think that we, like so many places, are struggling to keep up with the changing dress standards in our society.”
The rules for the amended dress code are as follows: students may wear a dress shirt, sweater, turtleneck, dress or ethnic attire. A dress shirt is defined as a blouse, polo or collared shirt.
In terms of general guidelines: all hemlines must be at least fingertip length, all clothing must be clean and in good repair (not torn, frayed or cut off) and students may not wear hats, athletic wear (i.e. leggings worn as pants, mesh shorts, sweatshirts, t-shirts), strapless tops or tops with straps fewer than two inches wide, or apparel that reveals the midriff, buttocks or chest.
The discussion surrounding dress code reforms has been ongoing for almost a full year. The idea developed due to the strong gender divides that exist in the current dress code. Many students pushed for a change in the dress code to accommodate those members of the PEA community who do not identify as the gender that they were assigned.
Health instructor and student council adviser Carol Cahalane explained that the societal pressures surrounding non-binary gender individuals motivated the alterations to the dress code.
“I think that concerns about the pressure that a gendered dress code puts on non-binary gender people really brought this issue to a head,” Cahalane said. “I do think that we, like so many places, are struggling to keep up with the changing dress standards in our society.”
While in development in StuCo, the revised dress code received much initial support from both students and faculty.
Over time, dialogue on the proposed dress code expanded to include the majority of the school, and members of the community hosted discussions in dorms, classrooms and the Assembly Hall.
StuCo drafted and revised a formal proposal which was eventually heard by faculty. Student Council presented its proposal to the faculty on May 4, and one week later it was passed by a majority vote.
The Academy community has voiced resounding optimism in regard to these changes. Senior and student council member Emily Lemmerman spoke about her excitement for the changes to take effect and her hopes for more change in the future.
“I sincerely hope that this change makes Exeter a more welcoming place in a multitude of ways, particularly gender equality and the recognition of non-binary gender identities,” Lemmerman said. “I also hope it invites discussion about what the change means for us symbolically pertaining to gender as well as in terms of class and how we consider professionalism.”
Lemmerman explained that this proposal can be traced back to the end of the 2013-2014 school year, when the “Why so gendered?” campaign began.
One student, senior Jren Blackwell, supports the revised dress code and hopes that these types of changes will continue in the future.
“I didn’t like [the past dress code] because it was gendered, and I am genderqueer and have friends who are transgender, and it is difficult for them to know when they can wear a dress or tie, or when they don’t have to,” Blackwell said. “I like [the new dress code], from what I’ve heard.”
Lemmerman went on to detail the incredble amount of work that was dedicated to generating these changes. The proposal was the result of hours of work from both StuCo and Policy Committee.
StuCo president Benj Cohen furthered Lemmerman’s sentiment and expressed his happiness with the efforts of the policy’s proponents.
“I’m really excited that this has passed, since StuCo put in a ton of work to craft this proposal, both inside and outside of meetings,” Cohen said. “Sachin (Holdheim), Emily and myself [sic] all spent a lot of time thinking and planning and trying to make this policy as effective as possible.”
Cohen also spoke about the ramifications of such a large change in one of Exeter’s most important policies.
“We think that this change will have a really powerful effect on the Exeter community,” Cohen said. “We don’t think it will just change the way that people dress, but also the way that students perceive each other. Getting everyone on a level playing field will have sort of a ripple effect within the community, in terms of gender equity.”
While the driving force behind these changes was the adoption of a gender-neutral dress code, another aspect of the reform was the concept of formality. Some teachers and students felt that the largest change in the dress code, the loss of the tie, would detract from Exeter’s status as a “formal” community.
However, for one reason or another, the overwhelming majority of PEA community members are in favor of these changes and look forward to seeing how students will adapt to them.
Prep Winslow MacDonald views the changes as positive, despite his affinity for ties.
“It is important that people can choose to dress as they please, as long as it is reasonable and appropriate,” MacDonald said. “I think the new dress code will be step forward for Exeter. I personally intend on continuing to wear a tie every day, but I know that others will be glad not to.”
Science instructor Jeffrey Ward said that he hopes that these changes will help all students feel more at home at the Academy.
“I think that [the dress code] makes a statement that we want to make all students as comfortable in their own skin as possible,” he said. “We are not trying to put the proverbial square peg into the round hole. In addition, it levels the playing field for both boys and girls.”