You Too Can Be A Distraction

So last month I published a blog post about a school principal who ban strapless dresses at a school dance because they could possibly "make male students lose control of themselves." When I published this blog post I thought it was well written and well said but I had to take it down after only being up for a few hours. Why would I take a post down? Well because too many people were arguing on it and calling each other names and sending derogatory messages to each other and me so I decided that it was more hurtful than helpful and maybe it needed some review. I also had several people ask me why was I upset with the principal to begin with and what my point was. One male reader of my blog rightly pointed out to me that while there was an issue of equality in that particular dances dress code it's unfair to say that women should act like their clothing never distracts men. As much as I'll probably get chewed out by someone for this, he is right. Female clothing can unintentionally and intentionally distract men.
After talking to this reader and having a fairly long debate with him, and another male reader, I came to realize that maybe my stance was too harsh but I still feel that this principal shouldn't have phrased the statement the way she did. Female students and male students alike should have to follow a dress code and she shouldn't have claimed that female clothing controls the amount of control that male students have over themselves. The fact is they control their actions, even if a woman is wearing clothing that they view as sexy or revealing. Women can also be distracted by men's clothing and those who reveal their bodies in public. Why do you think so many women flocked to Magic Mike? Clothing and lack of clothing being sexy is a two way street and men should be held just as accountable for their dress as women are.
My main issue with what the principal said was that she shifted all of the blame for possible male student actions onto the female students, thus perpetuating the idea that women's looks and clothing are responsible for how men behave and think. Men and women alike will always notice when a member of the opposite sex looks attractive or sexy but that isn't in the other person's control. I've said it before, and I'll say it again; There were times in high school when I could have worn a parka and baggy pants and some boy would have still had sexual thoughts about me or made sexual remarks about how I was dressed. Men and women will always have different dress codes in school and public places because they ARE different physically but you cannot target one over the other. You cannot tell men that they can be shirtless and in shorts all of the time and its OK when you'll turn around and call a woman a slut for wearing a midriff bearing shirt and shorts. I pay attention to shirtless men all of the time, but nobody would ever tell a man "Put on a shirt, you may distract the women and they'd lose control of themselves."

I hope now that I have stated my point better and that this post is absent of any confusion on why I was upset with this principal to begin with and that their will be debates rather than arguments and name calling.