An unnamed teenage boy at Shadow Creek High School in Texas was given an in school suspension after refusing to remove his makeup in school, according to Insider.
The teen is a current student in the high school’s cosmetology program and he decided to leave class with makeup on, just like many of his female peers do everyday. He was quickly flagged in violation of the Alvin Independent School District’s dress code for breaking a rule that explicitly states, “Boys may not wear make-up,” said Teen Vogue.
A petition by students of the district was launched shortly after the incident in defense of the teen. A friend of the student, Jasmin Richards, told KTRK Houston, “If girls should be able to wear makeup, then a boy should have no problem doing the same thing if that's how he wants to express himself.”
And society says men look bad in makeup pic.twitter.com/YJ08VSgT5u
— amina (@SociallyHowell) September 13, 2018
The petition currently has over 2,000 signatures in support of reevaluating the district’s dress code. It states that the current policies are “based entirely on outdated and sexist gender standards” and are harmful to students trying to express themselves.
KTRK reached out to Assistant Superintendent Daniel Combs about the petition. Combs said that he spoke with the students who started the petition, but it may takes months for changes to be made while they wait for all sides to weigh in.
