Commentary-- A Boy Wears A Dress To School & Administrators Suspend Him- Predictably? It's A "Gay" Issue

Sam Saurs via KING News 5 Seattle, WA

By Brody Levesque | BETHESDA, MARYLAND -- The following story that I have incorporated into this editorial is not LGBTQ related story per se, although judging from the comments on the original story's webpage it sure turned into one rapidly.

Here's the story as reported by KING5 News reporter and King 5 News South King County Bureau Chief Drew Mikkelsen:

PORT ORCHARD, Wash. – A 15-year-old boy has been suspended from school after wearing high heels and a dress to school as a part of a challenge laid down by his mother.

Sam Saurs, a ninth grader at Sedgwick Junior High School in Port Orchard, said he told his mother that wearing high heels wouldn't be that hard. Saurs' mother challenged him to try it and he accepted. To take it even further, he decided to wear a dress, too.

"I was pretty," said Saurs.

After Saurs showed up at school Wednesday in the dress and heels, the school suspended him for the remainder of the year. That suspension was later reduced to three days. But, Saurs won't be allowed to go to the ninth grade dance or the class party at Wild Waves.

Saurs said he was disappointed it got him kicked out of school.

"If anything, it makes me want to be more out there and more spontaneous and crazy," he said.

Saurs has been suspended before for wearing makeup and hats to class.

His mother, Ivanna Leible, said she did not complain about the suspension since the school does have a ban on hats, but she said there is no rule against boys wearing dresses in the student handbook.

"I found that very offensive. They told him he couldn't be him," said Leible.

The South Kitsap School District said the issue has been resolved and would not make any further comment about the incident.

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Now, after reading the article and watching Mikkelsen's piece, it was fairly obvious that this high schooler was not gender bending, nor was he Gay, and nor was he transgender. In fact at one point young Sam acknowledges that his girlfriend was stunned by his appearance. What was patently obvious was the fact that this young man is an articulate, intelligent, and quite witty young man who is quite obviously an individual who has not had his freedom of expression of self squashed by his Mom or other overreaching adults.

I am certain that my approval of her skills at parenting her son to grow up into fully realised, accepting, loving, "individuals" is most likely not going to meet with approval as evidenced by the vapid comments after Mikkelsen's article inferring that Sam's mother was an idiot for allowing her 15 year old to attend school in a dress.

Here's a small sampling of some of the more "lucid" and "correctly" [ emphasis mine ] spelled/grammar/punctuated remarks left after the story on KING 5 News:

thinksmart said on June 18, 2011 at 9:38 AM:There is an amazing amount of hypocrisy here. For those commending this kids actions, if pressed, even you would likely have reservations about certain 'get-ups.' This of course would then make you the rabid conservative, so it is all relative. What if the kid wants to wear a speedo? Maybe fishnet underwear and nothing more? Are we infringing upon his rights? Maybe he doesn't want to wear clothes at all. Are we infringing his ability to freely 'express himself?' After all, we don't want to stifle or repress his individuality..... Now do you want your son or daughter to be subject to such a person? Maybe he would prefer to wear his underwear on the outside of his clothes (including a bra.) Is that okay also? Even the 'foaming liberal' has his/her limits so it is truly hypocritical. If you want a 'free' public education you do it on our terms not your own. If you want to be a freak then we will let you be, and you can do it on your terms. Just not in our schools!

yupik said on June 18, 2011 at 8:00 AM: School is about learning, coming to class prepared to pay attention, participate and demonstrate one has gained knowledge. To distract from this process in any abnormal behavior or dress is disrespectful to fellow classmates, the teacher who has prepared a lesson to be taught. Real life for most employment requires appropriate dress for the position. Days off are opportunities to express oneself outside the norm. I am a teacher but on my off days I admit I do look like a bag lady and if that boy wants to wear high heels go for it. Just do not do this in my classroom. Class dismissed.

jiminycricket said on June 18, 2011 at 7:10 AM: Samsaursmom, I agree that it's completely unfair to label you as a bad parent with so little information to go on. But I do think you're making a very big mistake by turning this into a federal case and allowing the media to publicize your son's "plight". In the first place, you're teaching your son that the universe revolves around him. That does nothing but encourage self-centeredness. Second, you're teaching him that this is an important educational issue, when it's NOT. How about making a stink about the fact that only four states have larger class sizes than Washington? Or that the state is violating the law by consistently failing to fund its educational mandates? Wouldn't trying to do something about that be a better use of your time, and better modeling of responsible citizenship, than fighting for your son's right to wear a DRESS? 

This is ridiculous. As a junior-high teacher who teaches, among other things, the First Amendment, I can tell you there's a ton of case law -- not to mention Supreme Court rulings -- that supports this school's right to prohibit a student from dressing like this. And please, if you're going to get passionate about free expression in schools, pick a worthy battle. Compare this situation to, for example, the classic case involving students wearing armbands as a silent protest against war, and you'll realize how shallow this form of "free expression" is. It's not protected, nor does it need to be.

Then there were the gender issues and the "he's probably Gay" contingent who seem to feel that Sam somehow was either confused about his sexual identity or was Gay:

hobnobber said on June 17, 2011 at 10:05 PM: So, Zach, what's your coming out outfit going to be ? :)

gritz said on June 17, 2011 at 9:07 PM: My question is, why would a Mother challenge here son to dress in female attire, not only once. She knows her son will stand up to the challenge and yet she continues to push it. What is her agenda? Sometimes the hardest part about being a parent is saying "no, this might not be a good idea." The choices that this child is making now, might have adverse affects later when he is older. Then again, she is his Mother, maybe she knows more about her son then he actually knows about himself now.

LynnM2 said on June 17, 2011 at 6:03 PM: Maybe the kid likes woman's clothes ? Just experimenting with his sexuality. It took a lot of courage on his part to wear the dress to school. Does not deserve a suspension.

KittyKat said on June 17, 2011 at 1:46 PM: Omg seriously?!? What is the big deal? Kids who bring guns or knives to school get less punishment! What is so threatening or wrong about a boy wearing a dress and heels? I mean, in the greand scheme of all that's important in life, for God's sake let's get our priorities straight! What if this weren't just about this boy proving a point to his mother? What if he were really transsexual or transgender? His punishment would be viewed as prejudiced and discriminating and the school district would be up the creek. Let's get a life, people!! This isn't the south or midwest, it's the Northwest! Aren't we a TAD more open minded and liberal than this?

Then came this voice of reason:

scoutz0rs said on June 17, 2011 at 2:56 PM: Oh no! Not a boy wearing a dress! The fabric of society will fray and unravel!

My question is this; " Why does everything in the United States dealing with similar issues always boil down to Gay or not Gay?" Seriously, listen to this kid- he's an individual with a parent whose intelligence is such that she encourages and more importantly, nurtures her progeny.

Somehow, the U. S. has lost itself in a morass of religiously influenced claptrap that has seeped into the secular sector of its society creating such levels of intolerance that it's no small wonder that LGBTQ youth are depressed and ultimately in some cases, kill themselves. 

I applaud Sam, but I really thank his mother for being a wonderfully effective parent. Oh and as far as Sam goes? He's living proof that being Gay, Straight, Bi, Trans, or plain pink with polka dots has absolutely NO bearing on a person's character as does neither the clothes one wears. Good for him!