Surrey students wear skirts to school to support Montreal movement
Posted October 23, 2020 8:18 pm.
Last Updated October 23, 2020 10:20 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (CityNews) — A Grade 12 student in Surrey organized dozens of her classmates to wear skirts to school in solidarity with Montreal students protesting gender-based dress codes.
Brianna Ragsdale, who goes to Ecole Salish Secondary, was inspired after seeing a story from CityNews Montreal about how male students at dozens of schools wore skirts to school to oppose rules about what female students can and can’t wear, and to challenge the notion that only female students wear skirts.
“It really felt empowering, I was proud of them in that moment,” Ragsdale says.
“We caught wind of it, and wanted to take part. Online there was a digital poster passed around to support the movement, and it was such a proud moment, because it affects people everywhere.”
While some of the schools participating in the Montreal protests have dress codes specifically for girls that set strict rules around things like skirt lengths, Ecole Salish Secondary does not have these rules.
But there is a general dress code. According to Ecole Salish Secondary’s code of conduct posted online, students are expected to wear clothing that is “discreet and appropriate.” there is no language that refers to gender-specific clothing.
“Anyone with a skirt should be normal, it shouldn’t be distracting, it shouldn’t be an issue,” Ragsdale says.
Teachers and staff were supportive, which was not the case in some Montreal schools.
“Everything was positive, everyone supported it. Some teachers hemed and hawed but at the end everyone supported it,” Ragsdale says.
“In other Surrey Schools I’ve been in there have been dress codes that are strictly enforced. This school is really good, I’m impressed with how they handle that.”
Challenging the idea of gender-specific clothing is another goal of these protests.
“I loved it, we all stood together, and it gave the LGBTQ community a space to feel safe, it created a more comfortable environment,” Ragsdale says.
“I think we’ll continue to support this movement.”
