GoFuckYourself.com - Adult Webmaster Forum - High school has "Cross-Dressing Day."

ONLY IN AMERICA

There were guys in chiffon skirts, brassieres and fitted sweaters, and gals with painted-on mustaches at Hastings High School yesterday despite official efforts to put the kibosh on "Cross-Dressing Day."

As part of Spirit Week, students had already celebrated Pajama Day, '80s Day and Dress to Impress Day. Then educators saw yesterday's provocative theme promoted in posters around the school and asked student government leaders to announce an alternative: "New York Pride Day."

About two dozen high-schoolers refused to wear Yankees shirts, however, instead borrowing each other's clothing and going to class.

As they spotted them, administrators asked students to change. An assistant principal even drove one boy home so he could put on a different attire. The students' garb was distracting to education and disrespectful to transgender people, school officials said.

Cross-dressing students said their freedom of expression was violated and that the prohibition sent the wrong message to transgender students who may want to cross-dress regularly.

A liaison to the gay and transgender community said there is "a fine line" between personal expression and parody.

Students insisted their intentions were respectable and that stepping over the line could result in meaningful discussions about gender issues.

"We're concerned that people are not encouraged to express themselves," said Sonya Rifkin, co-president of the Gay-Straight Alliance, sporting a handlebar mustache. "In this microcosm of society, this tiny suburban high school, that people are willing to come out and say, 'this is important, this is an issue, these gender boundaries that people aren't talking enough about' ? and the fact that there was a football player wearing a girl's cheerleading T-shirt ? that says something to me."

Josh McConchie, 16, who wore a pink skirt and high tops, said that "certain students in the school feel it's derogatory towards gays or cross-dressers because they feel we're making fun of them, but actually we're trying to make them fit in." He said he also cross-dressed the past two years during Spirit Week, and it was never an issue.

Superintendent John Russell said he didn't know of any previous cross-dressing days, and he wasn't convinced of the students' noble motives.

"I don't think that was their intention to improve the lot of cross-dressers," he said. "Kids here really meant to have this as a spirit day and to have fun with this, and I don't know, if someone's a transgender person, if they would think it was funny. I think they could have viewed it very possibly as insulting, and this is a school district that prides itself in being open and welcoming to everyone."

He said students have a variety of organizations at school that deal with issues of gender and diversity.

Russell said the student who was driven home asked for a ride, and that students who did not change their garb were allowed to remain at school. He added that some students may not have heard the announcement and that no one would be disciplined.

A few students said they were following the school's Code of Conduct by respecting differences and rules on hemlines.

"I think it's ridiculous," said sophomore Malcolm Sanborn-Hum, 15, whose blue chiffon skirt grazed his knees as he walked on the school lawn. "They tell us it's distracting students, when we have '80s day, and people come out in costumes and everything else."

Laura Newman, the Westchester County liaison to the gay and transgender community, said she "could see both sides of the story. In some ways it could be seen as almost a parody, if girls are putting on charcoal mustaches and boys are wearing balloons under their (tops), are they doing it to poke fun, or are they doing it to express themselves really? It's kind of a fine line."