Gay teenager calls out ‘homophobic and sexist’ school rules after being suspended for wearing nail polish
17-year-old Trevor Wilkinson was suspended for violating his school’s “homophobic” dress code. (Instagram/trevormichae1)
A gay teenager slapped with a suspension for wearing nail polish has launched a petition calling out his school’s “homophobic and sexist” dress code.
Trevor Wilkinson, 17, a senior at Clyde High School in Texas, was disciplined after he returned from Thanksgiving break with his nails painted.
School officials told him he’d broken the dress code which prohibits fingernail colours for male students – and male students only.
“Imagine your school not allowing boys to paint their nails and giving boys [an in-school suspension] for it,” he tweeted. “And the whole administration being okay with it, homophobic and sexist? Welcome to West Texas.”
Wilkinson was given the opportunity to remove the paint but he refused, arguing that the punishment is a “complete double standard because girls are allowed to paint and get their nails done.”
But the school stubbornly refused to back down, saying that the teen won’t be allowed to return unless he removes the polish.
Wilkinson highlighted the hypocrisy in a Change.org petition that demands the dress code be changed. It’s been signed by over 51,000 people in less than a week.
“I am a gay male and I’m beyond proud. This is unjust and not okay,” he declared. “Help me show that it is okay to express yourself and that the identity that society wants to normalise is not okay.
“I am a human. I am valid. I should not get in trouble for having my nails done. Sign and share this so people like me don’t have to ever deal with this again. It’s time for a change and that time is now. ”
The Clyde school district would not comment on the incident with Wilkinson but said in a statement on Friday, 4 December, that it “conducts a diligent and thoughtful review” of its dress code policy on an annual basis.
“That review process results in the development of a final dress code that is consistently implemented and enforced during the next school year. Parents and students are provided a copy of the dress code prior to the start of each new school year,” the district said.
“Questions or concerns with the dress code are reviewed individually, and the District cannot share any information regarding a specific student.”
