A Question of legailty

[Winapp2.ini]

I've long been irked by a "tradition" at my high school, called "Red and Blue," which is the school colors. It's essentially a "school spirit" activity, except it excludes boys from the activity. I'm a person who acts upon my principles, so this year, I went in and sat in on the sign up meeting, and was asked to leave because I am male.

 

So I argued it, and then the athletic director came over and requested I leave unless I was going to take it 100% seriously.

 

I went home and I typed this up, posted it on my facebook, shared it, ect. But now I'm seriously considering submitting this to my local paper (this being a draft of what I'd submit) since someone asked if he could run it in the school paper.

 

Let me know what you guys think.

 

 

 

 

Why I showed up for Red and Blue today.

First off, all questions aside, yes I showed up for red and blue, and no I had no intent of joining.

 

 

 

If you know me at all, you'd know that I showed up namely to start s**t with the school, but more pertinently, to prove a point.

 

 

 

A brief history of Red and Blue

 

As many of you know, Red and Blue began sometime in the early 1900's (I do not know the exact year) as a balance for girls, since there was no (or very few) sporting activities for them, and as such they had no way to show off their athleticism. 1973 was the first year in which Red and Blue could no longer legally exclude boys from the activity, due to the passage of Title IX (now named the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act) in 1972.

 

 

 

Title IX

 

Title IX reads

 

"No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.."

 

 

Title IX affects ALL public and private education institutions that receive federal funding. As you well know, this includes South Side High School. Evidence of Title IX working in favor of women can be seen everywhere, you have a girl's version of every sport, and sports such as Golf, Wrestling and Football are NOT gender exclusive, if a girl were turned away from any of these sports, based solely on the fact that they were female, there would be legal repercussions.

 

 

 

 

 

This brings me back to my point: Ever since 1973, the people running Red and Blue have been practicing misandry.

 

 

 

Today, I was told to leave, because I am male. This was before any question of my dedication to the activity came into question, Danny Jacobsen and I were told to leave, simply because we did not fit the illegal criteria of the "school spirit activity"

 

 

 

In accordance with Title IX, this is illegal. I was later removed from the room upon admitting I had no true intention to join, however I was initially asked to leave because I was a male.

 

 

 

Now lets look at how Title IX actually applies to my situation, some of you may argue: "Hey, Rob, theres Red and Blue boys!" and normally I would agree with you, however you overlook the true spirit of Title IX, in that all genders can participate in ALL activities. Telling a boy who wanted to join red and blue, and sing and dance, whatever, that he could not join because he was a male, but he could be a red and blue boy? Thats like saying "Oh, girls, you can be on the Football team, but you're only allowed to carry clip boards and not play at all."

 

 

 

If I knew of blatant sexual discrimination on the football team, I would openly call the coach a misogynist bigot, but I do not. I do, on the other hand, have first hand knowledge of the discrimination that goes into red and blue, and thats why I showed up today, to prove it first hand.

 

 

 

An anecdote: I use the word discrimination here to apply to both sexism against males, and sexism against females. Frequently, I see people saying things like "counter racism," or discrimination against whites. This is a misnomer, all discrimination, regardless of who it is against or coming from, is discrimination, black and white.

 

 

 

Since Red and Blue can no longer bill itself as a sporting substitution for women, because of Title IX, it has been billed solely as a school spirit raiser. I pose this question: How can one make the claim that Red and Blue raises spirit, when it draws the contempt of boys across the school, which it excludes. How can ANY school spirit event exclude ANYONE in the school, based on gender or age?

 

 

 

I think the administration needs to ask it self, is it really fair to enforce an event that practices misandry, when we'd definitely put an end to one practicing misogyny? Or is the administration as a whole simply practicing situational sexism, willing to overlook this blatant violation of rights, simply because it is tradition? I am opposed to the whole concept of Red and Blue for a number of reasons:

 

 

 

1. It interferes with schooling, ie. "We can't have a test today, theres Red and Blue!"
2. 2) It is a blatant violation of mens rights, and this is not as a man, but as an american. As I said before, were it that misogyny were being practiced, I'd speak out about that too.
3. 3) It simply is no longer serving a purpose:

• Red and blue is billed as a school spirit activity, but more than likely decreases morale. It was instituted as an alternative for the non existent women's sports, and since women have sports now, it should be dispanned.

 

 

 

Red and Blue is technically in violation of Title IX, and for that it should either have to reform, or lose all funding it receives from the school, and the school should lose federal funding for encouraging a blatantly discriminatory activity.

 

 

 

 

 

Quick edit:

 

For those of you who don't know:

 

 

 

Misandry: Hatred of men

 

Misogyny: Hatred of women

 

[hazelnut]

Initial thoughts here..

 

You say you had no intention of joining so why bother going basically?

 

It's for girls... let them have something, it's no big deal really in the grand scheme of things is it?

 

At the moment I can only think of only one other club that girls/women have to themselves - giving birth. Bet you don't want to join that

 

In the letter of the law you are right, in the spirit of the law...well... there are bigger fish to fry.

[Winapp2.ini]

I just like to cause trouble.

 

Its not the fact that its for girls that bothers me, it's that they bill it as a "school spirit" type of thing, then exclude about 53% of the school from actually partaking.I'd be totally fine with it if it didn't interfere with regular schooling so much. There were girls carrying around vuvuzelas today... I think we all know what those are like

 

edit: also I really hate the administrators in my school

Edited January 15, 2011 by Winapp2.ini

[Andavari]

Why bother starting a bunch of ruckus just to prove a point of legality especially since you don't even want to participate, it sounds like a total waste of time.

 

At the moment I can only think of only one other club that girls/women have to themselves - giving birth. Bet you don't want to join that

Don't give him any thoughts, he may boycott that.

[mjp28]

First I like when people express themselves, but not when the primary motive is "just to cause trouble". I'd find something else to do with your time and energy.

 

Also I don't know if this "Red and Blue" is a 100% Title IX activity recieving Federal finacial assistance.

 

(a simplification of IX)

......Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law enacted on June 23, 1972. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most commonly known simply as Title IX. The law states that

 

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance...

?United States Code Section 20,

 

Although Title IX is best known for its impact on high school and collegiate athletics, the original statute made no explicit mention of sports............

 

(EDIT ADD - I'd also work on your paragraph and line spacing. )

[DennisD]

I fully agree with you Winappi.

 

In fact I insist you adopt this red and blue coordinated avatar to keep it fresh in folks minds.

 

 

Courage of your convictions and all that.

[Winapp2.ini]

@Dennis .... Betty Boop!

 

@mjp28 Red and Blue is funded through the athletics portion of my school's budget, from what I understand, anything receiving money out of the budget is applicable.

[Augeas]

Go to the boys' r&b and demand that they accept girls. Then you will have annoyed the whole school.

[Winapp2.ini]

Go to the boys' r&b and demand that they accept girls. Then you will have annoyed the whole school.

 

I already annoyed the whole school when I made a formal complaint to the district that my school wasn't enforcing the rule that is supposed to stop people from dessing like this

 

In the following days, numerous people were sent home with a suspension O.O

[ishan_rulz]

I already annoyed the whole school when I made a formal complaint to the district that my school wasn't enforcing the rule that is supposed to stop people from dessing like this

 

In the following days, numerous people were sent home with a suspension O.O

 

OMGLOL

[Andavari]

I already annoyed the whole school when I made a formal complaint to the district that my school wasn't enforcing the rule that is supposed to stop people from dessing like this

 

In the following days, numerous people were sent home with a suspension O.O

 

I never understood the showing of the underwear fad thing which swept the nation, along with people wearing their pants backwards. It was obvious it was completely out of control when grown men were doing it and thinking they were cool. They all just looked like improperly dressed dumb asses to me that didn't know how to pull their britches up or put them on the correct way.

 

Instruction manual required to put on pants, but so many don't read and need pictures instead, oh how the human species is devolving.

[hazelnut]

I think it all started with Superman Andavari. He put his underwear over the top of his leggings and it's gone downhill from there

[Ishi]

I am not into sports and I probably won't bother joining like you either so I wouldn't do anything to stir up a mess. But this is gonna be pain for those boys who wanted to participate, well its their problem. I've seen teachers that are a bit sexist on some of their topics, you know, making the other sex look like they have the bigger fault on something.

 

You put this on Facebook, you put this on paper, the people who initially wanted this exclusion finds out about it, they might as well go after you. So if you are gonna come up with something, do it with low profile to minimize the people who might get annoyed by you. Well its still your choice. Wish you good luck on that.

[Nergal]

Three faces of Nergal say

 

1) If causing trouble for the sake of trouble well then . . . .

 

2) I agree the practice sounds out of date, sexist and, IMHO, should be abolished

 

3) Hazelnut's Correct, let the girls have their fun. ("Athletic girls are cute" -red blooded male )

 

Solution:

How about, on the same day organize a male only event, publicize it. then when people call you sexist show them that the girls have the same thing and you would gladly see the two events merged in the future as a "spirit for the entire school" day

 

-You'll go down in History

[Ishi]

 

Solution:

How about, on the same day organize a male only event, publicize it. then when people call you sexist show them that the girls have the same thing and you would gladly see the two events merged in the future as a "spirit for the entire school" day

 

-You'll go down in History

This one is brilliant!!! You gotta fight fire with fire if that is the case but you'll need support from people who otherwise agree with you.