A Texas school district has implemented changes to its dress code after a male student claims he was suspended for wearing nail polish.
Trevor Wilkinson told NBC affiliateKRBCthat he feels a sense of pride, now that the Clyde Consolidated Independent School District has reportedly adopted a new, gender-neutral policy, which allows all students — regardless of their sex — to wear makeup, nail polish, jewelry, or piercings.
“I am very proud of my school for this,” Wilkinson, a senior at Clyde High School, told the outlet. “I’m glad that we finally got to this point and I think that it’s inclusive for everyone.”
The policies, which previously were listed for “girls” but are no longer specified due to the gender-neutral changes, also say that shorts, dresses and skirts also must be five inches from the top of the knee and leggings, tights, and yoga pants are only allowed if “modestly covered” and worn with a top that is within five inches from the top of the knee.
A spokesperson for the Clyde Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Trevor Wilkinson’s nails.change.org
Wilkinson, who identifies as a gay male,started a Change.org petitionin November after he said he was given in-school suspension (ISS) for having his nails painted and was told he would continue to be suspended until he removed the polish.
“It’s a complete double standard because girls are allowed to paint and get their nails done,” Wilkinson wrote on the petition. “I am a gay male and I’m beyond proud. This is unjust and not okay.”
As he remained in ISS, Wilkinson asked for signatures on the petition to help show “that it is okay to express yourself and that the identity that society wants to normalize is not okay.”
“I am a human. I am valid. I should not get in trouble for having my nails done,” he wrote on the page, which gained over 400,000 signatures.
The teen later spoke at a December school board meeting, where he pointed out that the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas had sent out a letter to more than 400 Texas school districts, including Clyde, about some of their policies being “deemed discriminatory,“NBC Newsreported.
“Why is it against dress code for a man to be comfortable with his masculinity and defy the gender norms that society has imposed on us?” he asked the school board, according to the outlet. “Better yet, in what way is it harmful for me to wear nail polish?”
LGBTQ organizations, including the Abilene Pride Alliance, also submitted letters to the school on Wilkinson’s behalf and urged the district to address the “discriminatory policy” and “rectify the situation,” according toKRBC.
Ina statement to KRBC at the time, the district said they “conduct a diligent and thoughtful review of the dress code on an annual basis.”
“That review process results in the development of a final dress code that is consistently implemented and enforced during the next school year. Parents and students are provided a copy of the dress code prior to the start of each new school year,” the district’s statement read. “Questions or concerns with the dress code are reviewed individually, and the District cannot share any information regarding a specific student. The District appreciates the feedback and input on this issue received from members of the community, and will take this into consideration when it conducts its annual review later this school year.”
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“It’s been an experience, to say the least,” Wilkinsontold KRBC after the new dress code was announced. “Students are so happy that they’re able to wear makeup or wear nail polish. It is an amazing feeling.”
“Not being able to be yourself 1000% is such a bigger distraction,” he added. “I am really proud of the steps that Clyde is taking to become better and do better.”
source: people.com
