Early last week Morehouse College, an all-male HBCU, launched a dress code policy titled, “Appropriate Attire Policy,” which has received much backlash from the student body and beyond, as well as a lot of media attention. The policy calls for things like no caps, do-rags and/or hoods in classrooms, no sagging pants or shorts, no pajamas in common areas, and the thing to really jump out, “no wearing of clothing associated with women’s garb (dresses, tops, tunics, purses, pumps, etc.) on the Morehouse campus or at College-sponsored events.

Dr. William Bynum, vice president for Student Services, addressed the latter provision when he said “we are talking about five students who are living a gay lifestyle that is leading them to dress a way we do not expect in Morehouse men.” According to Bynum, he met with Morehouse Safe Space, the campus’ gay organization, prior to the school’s release of the policy. “We talked about it and they took a vote,” said Bynum. “Of the 27 people in the room, only three were against it.”

This provision, however, seems to be in direct conflict with the school’s message of tolerance and inclusion of gays. Earlier this month, a Morehouse employee was fired after using work email to spread a homophobic email. Morehouse President Robert Franklin spoke of the Morehouse community in his apology issued to the gay community when he stated, “This has been and always will be a community dedicated to promoting respect and tolerance between heterosexuals and homosexuals.”

Check out the entire “Appropriate Attire Policy” after the jump… Read the rest of this entry »