Two Male Teachers Wear Skirts In Solidarity With Bullied Student
Two Spanish teachers, Manuel Ortega and Borja Velázquez, have worn skirts to their classes in a demonstration of support for students who were being bullied for dressing a certain way. According to Newsweek, Ortega overheard a student being teased with homophobic and racist slurs for wearing an anime shirt which prompted him to make a stand against clothing norms.
The two teachers from the Primary Virgen de Sacedón school took to Twitter to explain their stance. Ortega and Velázquez aimed to advocate to their students that they should feel free to wear whatever clothes they want without fear of subjugation. The project lasted for the month of May and aimed to encourage a respectful and tolerant educational environment, reports Newsweek.
Velázquez’s tweet featured him and Ortega wearing skirts in their classrooms alongside the caption that said, “A school that educates in respect, diversity, co-education and tolerance. Dress as you want!”
Soon after the teachers made their stance against gendered clothing norms, the school they work at tweeted out in a show of support. The school wrote, “Because educating is not only transmitting knowledge but instilling values of respect, tolerance and acceptance of diversity.”
The school has since committed to creating its own anti-bullying campaign where students are provided a space to learn about anti-bullying strategy and how to avoid toxic behaviours, reports Newsweek.
