So it's the first day of school at LPHS in Utah County, Utah, USA. Apparently, administration spent the summer reading the Strength for Youth Handbook, with heavy attention given to the never-ending Mormon modesty monster. Today, dozens and dozens of young girls were "dress coded" for coming to school dressed immodestly. Skirt not to the knees... sent home! Wearing the jean print leggings... your gone! A number of girls sent home because, get this, their cap sleeves (yes, they did have cap sleeves already) were not BIG enough or didn't cover enough shoulder. One girl, apparently wearing smallish cap sleeves, was told that enough of her shoulders were showing that it could be come a distraction to the young men at the school. By the end of the school day, even some of the teachers were publically conceding that the LPHS administration has decided to fully embrace the Mormon modesty monster in all its ridiculous, sexist, nonsensical ugliness. This whole modesty thing is out of control in Utah County... maybe in the whole church. LPHS is full of great kids, snappy dressers, and yet today the tone for the year was set: You will dress in a garment worthy manner or you will be sent home to change! Of course the boys can still wear pretty much whatever they want. Unbelievable.

Disgusting administration! If I were a parent there they would get an earful. Hopefully several someones who have a student there will make some noise that it's not ok to modest shame these girls. Ugh. Utah county.

Utah would be a nice place to live if it were not so utterly dominated by the mormon mythology. The fact that they dominate the public schools as well is appalling.

I smell lawsuits up the yinyang.

and you'd be right. In Utah County, I predict compliance. It is so sad.

I know a few of those LP Admins. Some feel it is their obligation to enforce Mormon standards. Why? Because LPHS is 98% Mormon.

If I was a student I would dress like the gals as a form of protest with my buddies.

Our school division is in the heart of the Alberta Moridor. While there is a dress code, lucky I doubt we will see garment style dress codes. I would guess that about half the teachers at the Jr/Sr High aren't Mormon.

After the first Beatles appearance on Ed Sullivan, nearly every boy in school appeared on Monday with his hair combed forward. The girls rolled their skirts up at the waist so they were above the knees. (Like those British birds, you know!)

On Tuesday, the principal announced over the loudspeaker that there would be no further odd hair-combing by the boys or skirt-rolling from the girls.

In the finest Southern California tradition, we held protest riots and marches, and boycotting classes. Boys began refusing to cut their hair altogether, girls quit wearing dresses and skirts and started wearing pantsuits and even jeans. The Cultural Revolution had begun, and I'm proud to say I was a part of it.

Those rules don't seem to apply when playing football...

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865609164/High-school-girls-soccer-Breakaway-goal-lifts-Lone-Peak-over-Davis-in-battle-of-5A-powers.html

Nor for the basketball team...

http://www.lonepeaklookout.com/news/article_3f3b5dc6-23d5-11e4-8a98-001a4bcf887a.html

Given the blatant immodesty inherent in fielding female sports teams shouldn't LPHS ban girls from all sports, or amend their kit to modest standards, or ban boys from watching?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2014 06:54AM by Stumbling.

I now see the wisdom of wearing Burka's. Maybe put those scarves over the faces too (like in the temple)

I have some relatives who go to LPHS and are very TBM, yet when I saw their prom photos on facebook they had bare shoulders. I was shocked. Low necks, spaghetti-straps, etc.

In fact, I am looking at their cheerleaders photo, one of my relatives was/is a cheerleader there, they at least used to wear fairly typical uniforms with fairly short skirt and sleeveless tops. So, somehow they don't distract, but too short of cap sleeves on other girls do? This is insane. I did notice that the cheerleaders appear to wear longer shorts under their skirts than other cheerleaders that I've seen.

Well, you see, a cheerleader flashing that little flare of white (or whatever color) or jiggling provocatively isn't *distracting* because the activity at that moment /is/ primal attraction of your attention.

If we're all playing 'ogle the cheerleader,' then ogling the cheerleader isn't distraction, but compliance. If however, we're all playing 'learn about the great schism of 1054,' or 'pretend to care about Logarithms,' then oglable costume is distracting.

It's all very fair and above-board, really.

Trying to justify a dress code based the distinction between when it's appropriate for you to oogle a woman's booty that she's shaking to get your attention, and when the same woman's booty distracts you from logarithms, is called rape culture.

The entire "modesty" standpoint is the consideration of the boys and when they their titillation by the girls is just "good clean fun" and when their titillation is distracting. When the solution to this "problem" lies in controlling and repressing the girls, that's rape culture. The girls are given dress codes based on the boys' needs and concerns. The boys are given a higher status than the girls. They get their needs met by the authorities' controlling girls. The boys need to get control of themselves and the authorities should see that they do so.

Oh, how I wish that one brave student would show up to school wearing mormon temple drag.

Maybe total robes and burkas?

in the 50s and 60s and 70s in cold climates; it was normal for girls and boys to wear undershirts under their clothes!
Little girls wore a standard t-shirt undershirt under their little dresses and blouses! It kept you warm!

We missed them when we graduated to bras in Jr. High, then we started wearing more layers and sweaters.

Now about these students:

What if these girls in protest go get a standard youth or mens t-shirt and wear it under their sleeveless tops????
The Boys could wear their white t-shirts under their summer sleeveless tops too.

Then get on National News.....they are being 'modest' and a standard t-shirt has at least a four inch long sleeve!

Telling, isn't it, that some LPHS parents are allowing their children to go to school in attire that the school is finding inappropriate?

I have some family members who live in the Alpine area. I have thought about this previously, and this reminds me, that I would love to see some statistics from this neck of the woods.

From my limited exposure, it seems that there are a lot of families living in this area where both parents are employed; I would find the numbers interesting to see. Certainly, families here seem to enjoy above average homes,cars, clothing, vacations, lessons and sports for their children, etc.

I've heard it quoted that 98% of the residents are LDS. What percentage of the LDS are active? What percentage of the youth complete missions? What percentage of the LDS members here are temple recommend holders, and what percentage attend the temple regularly?

I want to add that the people I have met from here, albeit I don't know them well, have been friendly and kind to me. The area rather fascinates me.

I am seeing some of the LPHS girls tweeting pictures of themselves in fully pioneer garb with bonnets and all (probably left over from trek) with funny captions saying "LPHS New School Uniforms" and such. Pretty funny stuff.

Oh I'm so proud of them! They should throw pioneer day every Monday, just to annoy the administration.

I know some in this area that are on the surface devote Mormons, even sending their sons on missions. BUT, scratch the surface or get them out of the state around non or ex-Mormons and not so much. They are more social Mormons. They have to be Mormon where they live and in their work. They don't actually literally believe all of it. It's just a way to raise your children, like cultural, liberal jews who go once in a while and certainly Bar Mitvah their boys so they can have a big party for their friends. But when some of these Mormon travel overseas, they don't seek out a Mormon church to attend on Sunday or mind their children dressing like normal teens. In a business meeting they won't offend someone by being anal about a toast, even though it's alcohol. Just not in front of other Mormons. Some of these rich Highlanders move in European circles.