Jonathan Escobar, 16 of Georgia's North Cobb High School in Kennesaw has been kicked out due to the fact that he wears female attire. Jonathan maintains the school originally had no problem with the fact that he cross dresses but only told him to stop after a student harassed him. The school then said he was in violation of their dress code and that the outfits were "causing a disruption and that he needs to dress more manly" if he wants to continue attending the school.
Jonathan has dropped out and said this policy isn't fair, and that he wants to graduate but not at the expense of "sharing his art and expressing who he is"
Fellow students meanwhile have joined a facebook group in support of Jonathan and plan on wearing bright pink t shirts that say "Support Jonathan" to show solidarity.
Please contact schools administrators and tell them to apologize, create a policy for the safety and inclusion of gender variant students, and to allow Jonathan Escobar back into the school.
Click here to send an email to the principal, assistant principals, and administrators.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Georgia Highschool Boots Student for Crossdressing
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
21 comments:
his friends said it right.... a girl can dress like a guy.... so why cant a guy be just as accepted as a girl.. enough said.
Men can get careers in ballet,makeup artist,bricklayer,or electrician,if that's what they want.Women cannot get careers in baseball,construction,or the oil fields.So if he announces that he wants to get a job designing dresses,there are no road blocks in his way.Except for China and Mexico of course.
I love it that when a student who is different gets picked on, it must automatically be the fault of that student, not the bully.
I endured this problem for years... "You have to try harder to fit in". Not "bullying is wrong". Nobody wants to be tortured by their peers... but you can't be anybody other than who you are, and you shouldn't be forced to try.
I sincerely hope this student is allowed to return to school, and offered the protection of those in charge, not their judgement.
As if GLBT kids don't have enough pressure, the school officials should remember they are to protect and nourish and educate all students.
I live in Cobb County, and gladly sent an Email to the school district.
This is bullshit. My property taxes are being spent on this shit?
I also questioned why the bullies here weren't disciplined.
Unbelievable.
Sorry America. We're normally not like this trust me.
Remember that Cobb County became famous for putting warning stickers that evolution is a theory on their text books. All these administrators care about is not getting sued if anything happens to the kid.
who would have thought that a socialistic institution would try and squash the spirit of a young person???
;)
The e-mail addresses are bouncing now -- guess they got tired of being called out for their discrimination.
Good thing Liberace didn't go to that school when he was young, nor Madonna.
a woman? a man? ...who's to say who is supposed to dress a certain way...who came up with what is appropriate? appropriate is an idea...this is only based on what is uncomfortable for someone else...that doesn't sound like the problem of the one wearing what is comfortable for them. jonathan you're a hero...please don't stop enjoying your life.
JC the emails arent bouncing for me, although maybe when you sent their inbox was full? The story is getting a lot more coverage, so I am sure they are getting a healthy dose of criticism.
It is very inappropriate for a boy to dress this way at school. He has plenty of time to dress however he wants after school and on weekends. Yeah maybe there are girls who dress provocatively at school, however they are actually girls. If he doesn't like the rules he can find a special school program for cross dressing males that will accept him, if there is one somewhere or he can stay home. I am not sure of his real intention, but he has already caused enough distraction, confusion and chaos in a place where there is already too much of that and students are there primarily to learn. He is also placing the school and himself in a dangerous position of having to protect him from students who could become aggressive towards him.
Jonathan should be able to wear what the heck ever he wants, and go figure that they didn't punish the kid who was doing the harassing, but rather, the one being harassed.
This is ridiculous. This is why so many kids are having so much trouble in school; not because they're just 'picked' on, but because no one can be bothered to give an iota of a damn when they are. Bullies need to be punished, and leave the victims to their peace.
Reading some of the many on-line posts on the Jonathan Escobar situation amazes me as many completely miss the point. Yes, it is OK to be who you are and no bullying should never, under any circumstance, be tolerated. However, you go to school to learn, not to make a fashion statement or to be the center of attention. Not always but often, school aged children do not have the maturity to know what is proper or best for them so yes, parents and schools do and should have the right to step in and regulate what their children are wearing to school. It seams the attire situation or lack of, in some cases, is getting out of control and there does need to be limits to prevent this type of controversy and disruption in the first place. He seems to be a nice kid but, really should move back home to be parented and finish his education. Plain and Simple.
PS
Why does it also seem, people with the smallest brains always have the most to say on these posts? Sometimes you can tell it's just immaturity or ignorance but, often it's the ignorant angry, hateful teens that make you wonder what kind of upbringing they had or what the world is coming to, when they aren't getting the emotional support or help they need. Maybe there should be more parental on-line supervision and an age limit to post as well.
I think Jonathan wanted to get his education and he had a damn good up bringing! He was always cheerful and had a positive attitude. He never wore anything too provocative...it was just stupid ass kids treating him bad because he likes women's clothing. Why does it matter??? He wears what he feels comfortable in and he was never a distraction to me or any other student. Now, school's do need some sort of dress code regulation for the ones who like to walk with their asses out and have their breasts all over the place. But all in all Jonathan's outfit specifically was not that distracting.
And the people who were bullying him, were some immature street rats who are so insecure about their own sexuality that they harrass and criticize others for theirs. This is ridiculous because they bullied him and the administration: (Mrs.Blanchard, Mr. Barilow etc...) None of them did anything to help and there were numerous times when I was publicly humiliated and they didn't help me. North Cobb is a ridiculous school, and i'm just glad that i'm a senior now and I can walk away shortly because it was ridiculous how little they want to help you. They do good things dont get me wrong, but they put too much focus on being popular rather than the safety and well-being of their students. And the dress code hasn't always been the best, but no one has ever worn anything so raunchy or flagrant that it caused everyone to loose focus; even if Jonathan did wear something out of hand, the administrators still should've got to his bullies as well. There's is no excuse why I still see the same damn kids who bullied me and him and still dont see jonathan!! This situation must be fixed! Those guys are just moving from target to target and they're terrible people who bullied me as well and if they're not stopped We'll take it even further than CNN!!! WE LOVE YOU JONATHAN AND WE WANT YOU BACK!!! WE'RE PROUD OF YOU!!
The school district is reprehensible. Every responsible party should be fired.
Lakeisha your post shows a lot of hatred and transphobia and misunderstanding towards transgender people. If the student identifies as female they should be allowed to use the restroom they feel comfortable with. Could you imagine if you as a female were forced to use the mens room how uncomfortable would you be if I said no you aren't a female, you are a male! Jonathan may be saying these things to girls that aren't nice, I don't know, but that doesn't mean that crossdressers deserve fair treatment.
It's all about the Dress Code! The Distraction!
Read the Dress Code..
He/She is a Distraction!
Maybe He/She should move to California.
Uh-no I don't have a phobia or a hatred. It doesn't matter how the student "identifies themselves". You talk about girls dressing like boys but do they use the boys restroom? No they go into the girls restroom because they are a GIRL regardless of how they may dress and act. Because at the end of the day when it comes down to it they know they are still a female so they use what is designated for them. No one especially me cares that he wants to dress like a female because when it comes down to it. I nor anyone else talking about him has the final say or judgement. And I wouldn't be forced to use the boys restroom because I know everytime I take a shower and use the bathroom that I am 100% female. But Jonathan can answer this on his birth certificate does it say boy or girl? We all know its not the latter.
It doesn't matter what the birth certificate says, you are confusing sex and gender. Sex is the physical make up, ie: male, female or (some combo) intersex genitalia. Gender is in the brain, and so a biological woman or man may be the opposite gender.
You know you are female and are so confident in it, transgender people are equally as confident that they are the gender they are as well, just because the external doesn't match what is going on internally is a horrible reason to deny them rights. What if you said I am a female, I know I am female, and I said no you are a male and you must use the mens room. How would you feel if what you know to be true your heart and identity was denied by the population at large.
It is frankly disturbing to see that the very insitutions which should be protecting Johnathan's rights are restricting his rights. While the school system should be taking disiplinary action against bullies and aggressors, they've found it easier to ignore their responsibilities as educators and role models by blaming Johnathan, the victim of this harrassment.
Johnathan, know your rights. Don't drop out of school. You are worth much more. It is the bullies who should be suspended. Take your school board to court. Don't settle for less.
In no way have you violated the dress code or caused a "disruption." It is your harrassers who should be held accountable for the disruption. You, and every other student, deserve to be in a safe environment, conducive to learning. A safe environment in which students can be secure, free from harrassment, and accepted of their identities is the only environment in which students are capable of learning.
You are an example for students and educators everywhere. All students must feel that their schools are fair, safe, and free from harrassment. All students must know that appropriate disiplinary action will be taken against harrassers. All students must know that bullying and harrassment is never acceptable in schools and is never conducive to a student's learning experience.
You should never be forced to compromise yourself. You are a hero to many people. Please do not accept a compromise--a compromise to your education or to your identity. Please do not give up. You are not alone. We will fight with you to protect your rights.
-Bethany Hargis, Asheville, NC
MediaCurves.com conducted a study among g 303 viewers of a news clip about a cross-dressing student who was sent home because of a dress code violation. Results found that that half of the viewers (61%) reported that they thought the school’s actions were appropriate. Furthermore, over one-third of viewers (37%) thought that the school’s actions were an act of discrimination and 55% said that if they were in high school they would support having this student attend their school.
More in depth results can be seen at:
http://www.mediacurves.com/NationalMediaFocus/J7618-SchoolDressCode/Index.cfm
Thanks,
Ben
Post a Comment