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Regulating Women’s Wardrobe Is Outdated

A story that moved on The Associated Press news wire Monday seemed like it should be under the classification Today in History rather than Top News.

Missouri House members, after debate, passed a tougher dress code for women serving in the legislative body as well as staff members to wear a cardigan or blazer.

Guess there must not be real issues that need to be tackled when time is spent discussing how a woman covers her body while at work.

The AP story said: “The Republican lawmaker who introduced the change said it was done to ensure decorum and mirror the men’s dress code. Democrats called it ridiculous, saying women shouldn’t be policed for their fashion choices.”

Republican Rep. Ann Kelley, the woman who introduced the amendment, said the dress code for women will now mirror the dress code for men.

“It is essential to always maintain a formal and professional atmosphere on House floor and to ensure this happens, I have felt compelled to offer this amendment,” Kelley said during floor debate.

The AP story states that men in the Missouri House of Representatives were already required to wear a jacket, shirt and a tie. Previously, women were required to wear “dresses or skirts or slacks worn with a blazer or sweater and appropriate dress shoes or boots.”

There was no indication women will be required to wear a tie. Not yet, anyway.

Kelley said ensuring decorum was a key reason behind her proposal — an idea Democrats seized on.

“I’ve seen a lot of lack of decorum in this room in my two years here and not once has that lack of decorum spurred from someone’s blazer or lack thereof,” said Rep. Ashley Aune, a Democrat in the story. “There are a lot of ways we could break decorum in this room. But a woman, what she’s wearing, that is ridiculous.”

In the story, Virginia Ramseyer Winter, an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Health Professions and director of the Center for Body Image Research and Policy, said lawmakers shouldn’t have even debated this because it unnecessarily put the focus on the way women look instead of the issues.

“I think it reinforces the idea that we value women more for their appearance above other more important things like their intelligence and their contributions,” she said.

Indeed. It makes one wonder if there is fear someone might show up to work in a tube top and ripped jeans, looking like an Aerosmyth video extra rather that a lawmaker.

Because, The AP story explains: “Lawmakers in other states have pushed back against dress code rules as sexist and culturally insensitive. Congress’ longstanding ban on sleeveless tops and open-toes shoes generated a fight in 2017 before those rules were updated.”

Let’s hope the concern about wardrobe and decorum now gives way to action to help the people of Missouri, no matter how they are dressed.

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