A small problem...

**elitekiltedcommando** · 7th December 06, 07:47 PM

Okay. I live in a small rural Wisconsin town, so as you can guess, my kilt was not welcomed by many at school. The only real support for it has come from a few of my friends and and my girlfriend. Other than that,I am mocked by the Admistration, Staff, and Student Body. I hear 'skirt' and 'queer' so many times a day it's not even funny. A new hobby some of my peers have taken up is to try and pull it off as I am walking down the hallway. I enjoy my kilt and the freedom it brings along. Any suggestions for dealing with the harassment? Preferrably one that doesn't end with me receiving a ticket for 'Assault and Battery'.

**Blu (Ontario)** · 10th December 06, 06:33 AM

This is a prime example of the type of effective "social education" many of us receive.

This is also one of the prime reasons why kilts won't become mainstream attire anytime in the forseeable future.

.

RedDevilWill · 10th December 06, 07:24 AM

MY suggestion: HR and the Job market. The situation sounds ugly.

Will

**Tattoo Bradley** · 10th December 06, 07:33 AM

If the administration is joining in the harrassment, I smell it getting VERY ugly.

**GatorUK** · 10th December 06, 08:19 AM

Document, document, document. Dates, times, particulars, persons involved. Find a lawyer, even ACLU if you have to. Then go in with the lawyer and have a little 'sit down' with the administrator and his/her attorney. Bring a digital camera so you can get a shot of his eyes bugging out when you lay out the data.

**cessna152towser** · 10th December 06, 08:38 AM

You mention that the girlfriend likes the kilt. I think its down to the fact that other guys envy you having a girlfriend rather than anything to do with the kilt that makes them shout the word queer. I recall my own high school days forty years ago. I never wore kilts but had a high school sweetheart and other guys would often shout words like queer, poofter, dyke etc. at me. Although it offended me at the time, with the benefit of hindsight I can see now that it was all down to their own sexual insecurities and jealousy about having no girlfriends of their own, and they were calling me this precisely because they knew I wasn't one and that I would therefore treat the label as an insult. Though they probably envy you having the balls to wear a kilt as well as you having a girlfriend.

**slohairt** · 10th December 06, 10:06 AM

Dia Dhuit, mo chara!

Ah, the joys of rural bumpkindom(?) I spent much of my school years in a small town (pop. 2300) which was very bigoted and difficult to deal with at the best of times. As you can imagine kilties were not welcome there either (despite a large concentration of Scots-descended folk!) I'd like to say that people will come to accept it and view it in a positive light, but we know that's not going to happen. Instead, they will simply ignore it after awhile and accept you as a harmless eccentric (nothing wrong with that!).

**David Dalglish** · 10th December 06, 10:15 AM

I am for wearing the kilt at anytime, which I do, But maybe you should reconsider about wearing your kilt to school, as your are getting so much hassle. Wear your kilt outside school & enjoy it, & keep the school for learning, life is too short, make the most of it.

**TheSp8** · 10th December 06, 11:13 AM

If the Administration and staff are joining in they are ripe for a serious take down. Do you have a large father or uncle that could go lean on the principle? If not, get a small digital recorder and every time someone in Admin or on staff says something negative pull it out and ask them to repeat it for use in the law suit. In today's law suit happy society that should put them on edge and get them to back off. If not, find a lawyer that would take this on just to see what he could get from the school system. Also, document every instance of harassment or derogatory statements by school administration and do the same for every instance they stand by and let actions such as trying to pull off your kilt happen. If the school staff gets legally body slammed then they should start keeping more order in the hall. Of course, they could also say the kilt is a distraction and change the rules to prohibit the wearing of kilts. Keep us informed and if necesssary a good e-mail campaign never hurt either.

YMOS,
Tony

**RockyR** · 10th December 06, 11:24 AM

May I suggest asking for a sit down meeting with the principle and / or Superintendant. Explain the reasons you are wearing it and bring some documented comments of students and STAFF (ESPECIALLY staff comments) to the meeting. If you CAN get a mini video camera into school or have a digital camera with a "mini movie setting", hold the camera (down at your side and out of view) as you walk between classes. This may help to get the taunting caught on tape. Ask what can be done to stop the harassment as it SURELY would not be tolerated if it were another gender / cultural issue.

How can you stop them from pulling it off? Wear suspenders on the kilt (under your shirt, so they're not visible).

Bottom line... the harassment probably WON'T stop completely. You're different and in High School... kids like to "belong" and follow the herd. If you go against the grain, they'll make fun of you for it. Just remember this... 10 years from now, you'll be glad you did it and they'll be ashamed they made fun of you. It also shows your level of character and class (and theirs).