Male Student Allowed To Wear Dress For Graduation, But No Heels: VIDEO
Despite some initial opposition, Texas student Brandon Navarro will be able to wear a dress to his forthcoming graduation.
Navarro, who is openly gay and describes himself as a cross dresser, was originally informed that he would have to cut his long hair, discard all jewelry and dress in men's slacks for his commencement.
[Navarro] had plans to keep his hair long and wear a fitted dress and heels under his graduation gown until he said a teacher made a comment to him.
“She was like you know you’re gonna have to cut your hair right?” said Navarro.
“I said well they didn’t tell me anything about that. It hasn’t been an issue all year. Why is it an issue now?”
That’s when Brandon’s mom, Mary Trevino, got involved.
“As you can see, he doesn’t have a third eye, he doesn’t have a third arm growing, he’s himself,” said Trevino. “When he dresses up, he dresses up respectfully.”
After a private meeting with his principal, however, Navarro can now dress as he'd like — a form fitting tribal ensemble — but will have to leave his hair extensions, heels and jewels at home.
Watch the KENS-5 report on Navarro's fight, AFTER THE JUMP.
OMG, I thought we all got over the different lengths of men's hair YEARS and YEARS ago. How the hell can they dictate his hairstyle to him?
Posted by: Tim NC | May 24, 2012 9:39:07 AM
::rolls eyes::
Posted by: Munro | May 24, 2012 9:58:56 AM
His mom seems supportive, which is great. It's good to see more parents supporting their kids in cases like this.
With that being said, these dress code issues and issues with blatant attempts at basically repressing and shunning any non-gender conforming, non-heterosexuality we're seeing in schools is not good and something is going to be have to be done to stop this from happening over and over and over as we're seeing. Teens like Brandon aren't scared to speak up and speak out and that's great, but they need more than that. There should be lawsuits against schools that discriminate. That's the only way they'll get the message because I don't see the culture changing anytime soon, especially since most of these stories come from places like conservative Southern Maryland and Texas.
Hit them where it hurts. Get the ACLU involved. Always make the discrimination known publicly. We can't have LGBTQ teens suffering in silence anymore.
Posted by: Francis | May 24, 2012 10:10:44 AM
“...he doesn’t have a third eye, he doesn’t have a third arm growing..."
(not that there's anything wrong with that)
Posted by: Anastasia Beaverhausen | May 24, 2012 10:30:11 AM
I don't know why female models, and this teenager, think that pigeon-toed poses are attractive. It makes them look deformed. It distracts the eye. He would look much better if he took a more natural pose, and the viewer's attention would focus on his beautiful hair and face.
Posted by: trees | May 24, 2012 10:52:20 AM
Is this really a "victory"? I don't support boys going to high school and high school events in dresses. they look like clowns and detract from everyone's ability to enjoy themselves just so they can have their ego stroked and be the center of attention.
Schools shouldn't have to bow to every whim and wish from every student. Not everyone can be catered to. If he wants to wear a dress do it on your own time.
Posted by: Steve | May 24, 2012 10:52:32 AM
So, does this rule apply to all the students, or just to the LGBT ones?
The money from that lawsuit should help cover college expenses.
Posted by: Lymis | May 24, 2012 10:54:19 AM
"...they look like clowns and detract from everyone's ability to enjoy themselves just so they can have their ego stroked and be the center of attention"
Yes, STEVE, now that you just covered the "normal" gender role conforming kids (many of whom dress and act like what you just described) lets get back to the transgender ones who wish express themselves AS MOST TEENAGERS TRY TO DO.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | May 24, 2012 11:13:40 AM
Incoming comments from femmaphobic, transphobIc cis males in 3...2...1...
Posted by: MateoM | May 24, 2012 11:13:51 AM
This is ridulous... by the description of the dress being "tribal", I am making an assumption that Brandon is a Native American. If that's the case, it could be argued that allowing him to wear a "tribal" dress and long hair and jewellery is actually allowing him to follow cultural and, yes, religious, traditions for Native Americans, because many tribes believe that Two Spirited persons are special, gifted people who traditionally were medicine people or revered in their culture. By denying him full rights to wear what he chooses, they are actually denying him religious freedom. Put that case to court and let's see the fundies squirm their way out of that. They're the first ones to squeal that their religios freedom is being denied when they discriminate against gays..... let's win this case by claiming the same thing... the iroy of it would be brilliant!
Posted by: GraphicJack | May 24, 2012 11:49:56 AM
@Steve please read the book "Uncle Tom," then give shutting your hate-hole a try.
Posted by: Sam Armstrong | May 24, 2012 11:52:37 AM
Thoughts:
1) How do all of these grossly unattractive guys get such princess complexes?
2) I have never seen so much confusion about sexuality and gender identity as I have the last couple of years come graduation time. What's going on?
3)Why do kids like this think they get to treat a high school graduation ceremony (yawn) as their own personal coming out ceremony, or their own personal platform from which to explode their ids? Just as important as the concept of expressing oneself is the lesson that there is a time and place for everything. What a pointless, limp gesture to wear heels and a dress to graduation. Find a bigger stage with brighter lights, son, where you'll actually be welcomed! High school graduation is such small potatoes.
Posted by: Not to Disappoint | May 24, 2012 11:59:04 AM
Unless all women graduating are also forbidden from wearing extensions, heals, and jewelry it is still discrimination. Even if they did, will enforcement be uniform. On him extensions may be obvious so will they inspect everyone's hair to assure nobody is wearing extensions. These rules are just plain harassment techniques.
Posted by: George M | May 24, 2012 1:09:23 PM
Why can't he express his individuality by wearing the same ugly gown and stupid-looking hat everyone else is wearing? "NO, I want to wear a rainbow-patterned commencement gown, trimmed in faux fur, with sequins and a feather boa, clown shoes, and a neon blinking hat that says "Class of '12: Eat Me Y'all!" I'm an individual!"
A graduation ceremony is a kind of a strange time to feel so compelled to assert one's own special uniqueness, since by definition these ceremonies impose a degree of uniformity and conformity. Either observe the protocol, or abstain from attending, the latter of which is actually a much stronger statement of individuality.
This kid needs to get into an art school somewhere where he can be just another kid acting different.
Posted by: Like a Snow Flake | May 24, 2012 1:29:19 PM
there's another story on the site right now about "gay men with bad relationships with their fathers"
every since wuss that came on here to denigrate this kid for his choices and joined the bigots in mocking him proves that they never had the balls to stand up to the small-minded bigot they call "Dad".
congrats, losers.
Posted by: LittleKiwi | May 24, 2012 1:32:40 PM
Amen, little kiwi. All of you commenters that are upset about some kid bucking the norm, please remember that bucking the norm is why we're not still forced to live in the closet. Jeez, self hate much?
Posted by: Sam Armstrong | May 24, 2012 1:42:06 PM
@ Like a snow flake: He's not asking to wear a rainbow colored gown, he's asking to wear what he feels comfortable wearing UNDERNEATH the gown. Derrr.
Posted by: Sam Armstrong | May 24, 2012 1:44:49 PM
@Sam Armstong: But what if another kid wants to wear the ensemble as described? Why shouldn't he/she be able to assert his individuality and creative identity that way? Or why shouldn't a child from a practicing nudist family be allowed to wear nothing at all under the gown?
If the kid has been wearing high heel shoes to school functions all throughout high school, and here suddenly the administration targets him for special enforcement of a dress code with the motive of excluding him or making him feel unwelcome from the ceremony, then I'd be backing the kid. But that's not the case at all. This is one kid who somehow feels he's entitled to hijack the ceremony to make his own personal statement of identity. As supportive of GLBT teens' rights in educational settings as I am, I don't see this as the appropriate time or place.
Somebody has to break it to him that he just isn't that special.
Posted by: Like a Snow Flake | May 24, 2012 2:44:59 PM
I think there's a big difference between prescribing clothes based on gender and deciding on whether or not people can run around butt-ass naked. What if a female student wants to show up in a pair of small mens shoes? We don't have much response to that, because society is inherently male-centric and heteronormative. What if a girl shaved her head? Is that ok? None of us know where he is along his developmental path, and this could be helthy for him. If all the other people in the stadium are uncomfortable with his gender identity, why should that be his problem? He's not asking to ride a horse across the stage, set his hair on fire, or even modify his graduation gown, for Pete's sake. I disagree that someone needs to tell him he is not special, but in this case, I think he needs to know that it's not his gender identitiy that makes him special, it's the content of his character.
Posted by: Sam Armstrong | May 24, 2012 3:36:39 PM
Why do some people insist on trying to confuse transsexuality with homosexual status? Contrary to what you may have heard recently, Gay boys do not have irresistible urges to go to their high school proms and graduation ceremonies in drag.
A high school has the right to impose a dress code on its students. It just needs to communicate that dress code clearly at the beginning of the school year. That said, high school counselors must be trained and prepared to deal with transsexual students and their issues. We're (supposed to be) living in enlightened times.
Posted by: Stuffed Animal | May 24, 2012 3:56:27 PM
Schools and colleges should not have different dress code rules for males and females. Americans rightly point out compulsory different dress code rules for females and males in certain middle eastern countries as being sexist yet in many cases they do exactly the same at home - even, in this case, refusing to allow students to graduate from schools and colleges if they do not gender conform. The Principal of this particular educational establishment might think that she's being tolerant and progressive by allowing this student to wear what he likes apart from high heels - but in fact, she has NO MORALLY JUSTIFIED RIGHT to tell this student not to wear high heels at all!
Posted by: Katie | May 26, 2012 7:00:29 AM