Oooooh dear ...

[blamebrampton]

Apparently, an American school principal told a lad to go home and change because his kilt could be misconstrued as crossdressing.

A local news source on the story includes this helpful line:
Kilts are traditional Scottish apparel, generally worn by men, often for formal or special occasions.
and some interesting comments.

But this source has the best picture editor ...

Dear bubba, that last link could stand as a birthday present to you! Have a very happy one, eynhashofet , you deserve it!

And silenceofcedars , I hope that the cake and good wishes fairy has rolled up to your house a little pleasantly tipsy and settled in for the duration.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

He's lucky he didn't land in jail like the female teacher who had a student dress in female garb (or don make-up) as an effort at gender awareness. That was 10-15 years ago and I'm still upset.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

That's RIDICULOUS. Where was that?

[libby-drew.livejournal.com]

Disgraceful!

Loved the pic, though. ;-p

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Dunno which state (but America of course); had bitter little argument with my "feminist" boss about the justification of it (the student was a violent sexist female-students-abuser, too).

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I'm just waiting for the inevitable visit from Sean Connery and Billy Connolly ... I hope the principal is a fast runner, though they've both slowed down a bit with age.

[empress-jae.livejournal.com]

*palmface* ahh...my country. *sigh*

that last pic is killing me, though.

[libby-drew.livejournal.com]

That's okay. They're both still pretty to look at.

[mific.livejournal.com]

It would be Utah wouldn't it!

Damn, they really do wear nothing underneath.
Those highlanders are tough.

[angela-snape.livejournal.com]

A kilt is cross-dressing? I'm glad the principal was made to apologize (and glad you found that article with the wind-blown pic!)

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Apparently, an American school principal told a lad to go home and change because his kilt could be misconstrued as crossdressing.

Oh good grief. Not surprised at the groundswell of reaction to this: Americans take their ethnic backgrounds very seriously. (Pity the kid couldn't spring for a plaid; IMHO they're underused compared to kilts.)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Jailed? For that? While Cheney can shoot people?? What is wrong with the world?

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

And you'd not want to face the two of them in an argument ...

[bryoneybrynn.livejournal.com]

Oh my. That's... Um...

*frets about America*

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I knew someone would have used it, and 45 seconds with Google later ... it's an old fave!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Oh, they're tougher than you think. There's gorse up there ...

And of COURSE it's Utah!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Sexual abuse? Something like that. A boy can't possible dress like an inferior girl without trauma, and that teacher's life was finished.

People, politics + pheromones, I hear.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I just can't believe he never saw Braveheart! And yes, I love that pic ;-)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I've wrangled a few people into plaids/greatkilts/the other term I can't recall; a 14-year-old might topple over under all the weight ;-)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Wall, Bry, you chaps need to start building that wall!

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Oh piss off, as the Australians say. What a pack of wankers (yes, that's Aussie, too).

When I was a teenage girl and some of the teenage boys of my acquaintance would tell me they were superior, I would agree to concede the point if they would spend the afternoon wearing stilletos while I punched them in the stomach once every five minutes and they simultaneously read a map, did their maths homework and cared for a toddler, all with perfect hair and eye make-up.

Not one of them ever took up the challenge.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

*wistful sigh* I had gone from Aussiefanning to Aussiephobia the last 20 years ... but just before you swayed me, I remembered that that is the intervening generation and a similar discourse today - if it would even take place - would end differently, so I'd only travel there again by Tardis.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Heh! Australia is a strange and insanely diverse place, so I am not surprised parts of it triggered a phobia. (I hope it's not the fauna, though, those spiders are actually very sweet, and many of the snakes are friendly!)

They do all have a lovely line in swearing, though ;-)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

See, it wasn't actually the fauna, since that's a huge attraction with all the fresh fruit and colourful plants and deserts and cliffs, but now that you mention it, having to wave a stick to get from door to street at night in case they wove across the path, and check teh footmat, and always have them in the shower, argh. Argh. Guh. I don't mind snakes. Pity one can't swim anywhere in the wild without being crippled by jellyfish (well, or sharks or crocodiles). And the flies! Oh yes, I didn't dislike the fauna until you mentioned it now ;P

Yeahhh, I know. I do have three pages of swear words, collected in one evening, and the only one I ever remember is catflap.

[valkyrieblades.livejournal.com]

Jeez, what a mess. As if any student in that school didn't know what a kilt was. I'm sure by age 14 that most of them have seen Braveheart!

One of my best friends in high school wore a kilt to prom, and then mentioned it in his election speech for student council. I'm pretty sure that was the deciding factor for his win. :)

[kayleigh-jane.livejournal.com]

I've got nothing much to add, but I couldn't resist using this icon :D.