Ethics and Religion Talk: Do Dress Codes Discriminate Against Women?

Males and females are biologically different and our culture is in generally agreement that the male chest is a non-private area but the female chest is a private area. Recently, the Missouri House decided to adopt a stricter dress code for women. How would your tradition speak to the question of differing dress standards for men and women?

Fred Stella, the Pracharak (Outreach Minister) for the West Michigan Hindu Temple, responds:

To the best of my knowledge, there are no hard and fast rules as to how people should dress that is detailed in the Hindu scriptures.  That said, the sari has a long history within Indian Hindu culture. It is seen as the most noble attire for women. It combines modesty with an accentuation of the feminine form.  Many male priests perform ceremonies wearing a dhoti (cloth wrapped around the waist) while bare chested. So, my answer will be just my opinion. I am curious as to what prompted this dress code. Were women showing up at the capital in hot pants or miniskirts? Topless? Having a professional dress code is appropriate. I’ve seen these new rules, and I can understand how offensive these can be to women. It plays into that rather misogynistic trope of woman-as-temptress.

The Reverend Colleen Squires, minister at All Souls Community Church of West Michigan, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation, responds:

Routinely dress codes over-police female bodies. It is extremely discouraging that this is happening at the state level of government. This ultimately has a negative effect on young girls. It tells them there is something wrong with their bodies and they need to be covered up. Often the argument is that it is difficult for young boys to focus when young girls are not completely covered up. It simply should be the boys responsibility to regulate their emotions and not to put the burden on the girls. 

As for the Missouri state legislative dress code, it was about requiring women to always wear a jacket. To be fair the dress code should also require men to always wear a jacket as well.

Rev. Ray Lanning, a retired minister of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, responds:

In passing I remark that it is more than a bit ridiculous for a state legislature to give time and attention to such a question. Is there no matter of greater importance for Missouri’s lawmakers to address? It is certainly demeaning to women elected to office to single out their attire for legislative correction.

Notwithstanding, it is a fact of life that men and women everywhere are obsessed with what women wear. An international fashion industry exists to cater to that obsession. Whereas for men, at least in our part of the world, the only dress code is, “No shoes, no shirt, no service.” Scripture gives a detailed account of the excesses of women’s fashion choices in Isaiah’s day (Isaiah 3:16-26), which God Himself condemned. The apostle Peter directs that a woman’s “adorning not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (I Peter 3:3, 4).

Presbyterianism enjoins but one thing, that everyone  practice “modesty in apparel” (Larger Catechism, Q. 138),  which I take to mean clothing that is chaste, appropriate to the occasion, and restrained, not intended to make a display of one’s wealth or person. Conversely, all must forswear “immodesty in apparel” (Catechism, Q. 139). Note first, what the Catechism says is addressed to men and women alike. Second, that is all the Westminster Standards have to say on the subject.  

Rev. Salvatore Sapienza, the Senior Pastor at Douglas Congregational United Church of Christ in Saugatuck/Douglas, responds:

When it comes to discussions of gender identity and expression, I've heard several Christians say, "God only created two genders!” But, that is simply not true, because God didn’t create gender. Gender is a social construct that was created by humans. 

It’s true we're all born with certain body parts, but then based on our genitalia, we are assigned a gender at birth. Based on that assignment, we are instructed how we should dress, how we should act, how we should behave. The majority of people on the planet conform to the gender they were assigned at birth, but there are many others who do not. 

Our denomination, the United Church of Christ, recently shared a social media post that said, "God's is Non-Binary.” If all of us are created in the very image and likeness of God, then God is not exclusively male or female. God cannot be defined by gender.

That is why I believe that our gender-nonconforming siblings can help show us a more full and authentic picture of the face of God, and that all forms of gender identity and expression should be embraced by communities of faith.

This column answers questions of Ethics and Religion by submitting them to a multi-faith panel of spiritual leaders in the Grand Rapids area. We’d love to hear about the ordinary ethical questions that come up in the course of your day as well as any questions of religion that you’ve wondered about. Tell us how you resolved an ethical dilemma and see how members of the Ethics and Religion Talk panel would have handled the same situation. Please send your questions to [email protected].