For years, dress codes have been targeting and sexualizing young girls in schools. The argument for girls being told not to wear shorts or tank tops always comes down to a distraction for boys (and even teachers) in class. But a sign put up at Desert Ridge High School in Mesa, Arizona has seriously crossed the line.
Last week, a sign appeared in the library of the high school that compared girls to “meat” that the “wolves” (boys) would find too alluring and ultimately cause boys to get lower grades which leads to crappy jobs and in turn needing girls to take care of them for the rest of their lives. A horrible cycle, all because you wanted to look “HOT!” that day.
Not only is the projection of girls as prey and boys as predators completely inappropriate and degrading to both parties, but the sign also suggests that the failure of boys is somehow the fault of girls. Not to mention that it completely overlooks any non-CIS-identifying or LGBTQ students.
Alissa Adams, a senior at Desert Ridge, was completely appalled by the sign. Shocked to have such a sexist poster hanging in an educational space, she asked the librarian to remove it and was told that it would remain. So she grabbed a pen and wrote, “So it’s the girls’ fault, right? #feminism” at the bottom of the page before posting a photo of the poster to Twitter and other social media outlets. Adams told The Guardian that her tweet received thousands of supportive comments and only a few negative, one saying she would better understand the sign when she was a little older, to which she replied, “I’m pretty sure I can understand a sexist poster now.”
The poster was brought to the attention of the principal and removed the next day along with a statement apologizing for the inappropriate poster and promising that it is “not reflective of the spirit and community of Desert Ridge High School or the Gilbert Public Schools District.” Adams and the other students of Desert Ridge High School count this as a small win. But fact that students are able to stand up for what they believe and really make a difference through social media shines as a beacon of hope for a digital generation.
Image via Twitter
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