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Because I was Bored

I called you in here, said my principal on Halloween of my freshman year, because as

a guy, you can't be wearing a dress to school. Cross-dressing. I have never heard a phrase
repeated as many times as I did in my two hours spent in the principals office. Cross-dressing is
defined as wearing clothes and other accessories commonly associated with the opposite gender.
Wikipedia explains that it has been used for purposes of disguise, comfort, and as a literary
trope in modern times and throughout history. Cross-dressing should not be considered an issue
because the condemning of it promotes gender inequality, defies freedom of expression, and
gives rise to confusion of ones identity and place in society.
Cross-dressing isnt a new fashion statement; in fact, about a hundred years ago, if a
woman went to school in pants, she would likely be sent home to change into a skirt. This
changed in 1851 when Amelia Bloomer designed loose-fitting trousers for women. When long
skirts and loose clothing tangled in heavy machinery, Bloomer designed trousers to combat these
safety hazards; however, due to societal pressures, the pants didnt become a social norm until
about 1910 (nps.gov). History does indeed repeat itself. Today, we live in a world where it is
okay for women to wear mens clothing but we question when a man wears womens clothing.
Just two months ago, Jaden Smith, a renown rapper and son of Will Smith, made headlines in
several news reports for experimenting with womens clothing. He even tweeted Went To
TopShop To Buy Some Girl Clothes, I Mean Clothes(twitter.com). While he is openly defying
societal norms, he is not affected by others judgement. The outspoken actor seems to be
making some sort of statement with his new attire, but his famous entourage (which most notably

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consists of Kendal & Kylie Jenner) seems to be taking it all in stride (thegrio.com). Ironically
enough, the only ones phased by his choice of clothing are the ones who see and judge him.
When we question a man, such as Jaden, cross-dressing, we are immediately promoting
gender inequality by indirectly stating that it is abnormal for men to wear womens clothes but
not the other way around. Nobody seems to consider that women wear pants, unisex shoes, or
their significant others jackets, but when a man puts on a skirt, suddenly, everyones gaze shifts
towards him. It is because of our belief that men should only wear mens clothing that we dont
see as many men cross-dressing. Many people also tend to assume that men cross-dress because
of confusion or discomfort with their sexuality or that they are homosexual. Recent research
from netdoctor.co.uk shows that most transvestites are, in fact, not homosexual. When asked why
they cross-dress, the most common response is that it simply feels right. In essence, this is how
transvestites feel most natural and free. To question their sense of individuality based on their
clothing is absurd and an embarrassment in 2015.
Perhaps a bigger embarrassment is the question that is inevitably asked when talking
about cross-dressing: What impact does this have on our society and, more importantly, the
children? In a forum posted on www.crossdressers.com/forums, user Anon7371 responded with
the argument that cross dressers are teaching the future of America that cross dressing is normal
and that it is okay to pretend to be somebody that you clearly are not. This comment received
682 up votes and over a thousand replies. While I agree that transvestites are influencing society
to accept cross dressing, I do not see this as a negative impact in our world. In fact, this bold
sense of liberty is the exact kind of message that our society needs to hear. We are not going to
advance as human beings if we continue to question trivial matters such as the type of clothing

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one wears. If you really think about it, we dont even need to wear clothing; we decided to do it
ourselves! So why are we pretending that there is some predetermined rule that we must obey? If
we are going to raise kids and teach them to run the future of our world, we should teach them to
be open to all ideas. This can not be done if we cling onto the idea that things have to be a set
way. We need to teach the future society to be free and open-minded, not just about cross
dressing, but about everything they deal with in life.
So why did I wear a dress to school? Because I was bored. The night before halloween, I
found a wig in the backstage of the drama room and asked my friend if I could borrow her dress
for a day. It was below 50 degrees the next morning but I strutted up the steps to school without a
care, looking fabulous might I add, and sat down in my first period class. I didnt even make it to
second period. Halfway through my biology lecture, the principal, the vice principal, and a
school security guard pulled me out of class and took me to the principals office. Do you know
why I called you in here? said my principal, Mr. K.
Did you find the meth in my locker? I said with a straight face. He looked down at his
desk, pinched the skin between his eyes, and looked back up.
I called you in here, because as a guy, you cant be wearing a dress to school. He went
on to explain that me wearing a dress is making fun of gays and that stuffing tissues in my bra is
an insult to women. When I asked what me wearing a dress had to do with gay people, he
became quiet. He knew it. I knew it. The assistant principal, who was idly watching us argue,
knew it. His bold implication that all gay people cross dress caused an uncomfortable
atmosphere of silence. It then struck me how ironic it was that our school actively promotes gay
rights and freedom of expression yet our very principal had made such a homophobic statement.

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He apologized for his misspoken words but continued his argument that I was offending all the
girls on campus. When I asked him how, he said that its blatantly obvious that stuffing tissues
into my bra is a joke that implies I have breasts.
What, so you dont like titties? This response singlehandedly resulted in a detention.
However the rest of the argument went in my favor, and in the end, I was free to wear my dress
(and tissue-stuffed bra) for the rest of the day. I received many compliments from students
throughout the day. In fact, it was hard for me to walk even ten seconds without having
somebody approach me or take pictures with me.
The point is that, at least in my high school, the older generation (the administrators)
found ways to attack my wearing of a dress in public whereas my classmates found it to be a
great halloween costume. These are two perspectives on the way we, as people, can view a
situation. We can either jump to broad conclusions, and continue to live in a prehistoric era
where cross dressing is forbidden, or we can accept the fact that we wrap ourselves in cloth
and that we have the freedom to choose what that cloth looks like. I was bored. I felt like
wearing a dress on a day that we celebrate wearing a costume. I am not gay. I am not insulting
women. And cross dressers are no different. We all have certain things that make us happy and if
wearing clothes of the opposite sex makes some people happy, I say all for it. For the people who
find this offensive, you are always welcome to rid of your obligations to wear clothes altogether.
After all, it is a choice, isnt it?

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Works Cited

@officialjaden. (2015, April 07). Went To TopShop To Buy Some Girl Clothes, I Mean
Clothes. https://twitter.com/search?q=jaden%20smith&src=typd.
"Amelia Bloomer." National Park Service, n.d. Web.
"Forum: Male to Female Crossdressing." Crossdresserscom 1 Community Forum for
Crossdressers Family and Friends RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2015.
Telusma, Blue. "Jaden Smith Steps out in Dress (again) at Coachella." TheGrio. N.p., 18
Apr. 2015. Web. 11 June 2015.
"Theories On Causes Of Crossdressing." Theories On Causes Of Crossdressing. N.p., n.d.
Web. 11 June 2015.
"Thread: Should Crossdressing Allowed?" Should Crossdressing Allowed? N.p., n.d.
Web. 11 June 2015.
"Transgender, Transsexual, Gender Identity, Gender Diversity." Polare 63: A CrossDressing Perspective. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2015.