"Male Hair Cannot Extend Below Plane of the Shoulder" and "No Cross Dressing": Critical Queer Analysis of High School Dress Codes in the United States

In this study, we questioned how high school dress codes outlined in official handbooks were written or presented in regard to the gender binary, either/or perspective. We critically analyzed how or if they allowed for flexibility in expression of gender and sexual identity and if they supported, en...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of homosexuality 2020-07, Vol.67 (9), p.1290-1340
Main Authors: Reddy-Best, Kelly L., Choi, Eunji
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Content analysis
Cross-dressers
Dress code
Dress codes
Dressing
Flexibility
Gender
Gender identity
Gender nonconforming
Hair
Handbooks
high school
Identity
LGBTQ
LGBTQ people
Marginality
Policy making
queer
Secondary schools
Sexuality
Shoulder
Social exclusion
Transgender persons
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Summary:In this study, we questioned how high school dress codes outlined in official handbooks were written or presented in regard to the gender binary, either/or perspective. We critically analyzed how or if they allowed for flexibility in expression of gender and sexual identity and if they supported, encouraged, or affirmed a variety of expressions, in particular transgender and gender non-conforming expressions, throughout the text or images. The content analysis method was used to analyze 735 handbooks from the 2016 to 2017 school year. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) support of fluid gender expression, yet not overt support; (2) passive marginalization of gender non-conforming or transgender identities or expressions; and (3) active marginalization of gender non-conforming or transgender identities or expressions. The "LGBTQ+ Dress Code Analysis Tool" was developed for policy makers to use to analyze their dress codes.
ISSN:0091-8369
1540-3602
DOI:10.1080/00918369.2019.1585730