Young women should be able to participate in athletics without feeling like they're on display, but that has always presented a bit of a problem with cheerleading, a sport that doesn't get its dues as a sport and for which, at least for the past few decades, was partly about putting women on display. But what disturbs me most about complaints from a squad in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is that their complaints have been met with a bit of a dismissive attitude from some of their superiors. The squad's new uniform tops are too small and expose their midriffs even when they are standing, violating league rules, and they went to the school board to complain.
Denise Clemons, the assistant superintendent, said the cheerleaders filled out size forms in the spring, and offered the explanation that their sizes had, perhaps, changed, or the material made the sizes run smaller. (Another possible explanation is that the young women underreported their size, as women often feel pressured to do.) She then goes on to tell the Connecticut Post that the new skirts were returned because they looked "cheesy," and that this had all been addressed before the cheerleaders went to the board. The school's sports director said they would get body suits for the students.
But, clearly, if they went to the board, the women didn't feel their request was being taken seriously. That a bunch of school officials had the opportunity to see tops that were clearly too small, yet offered explanations rather than solutions before the students went to the board, is frustrating. If the skirts were sent back immediately because they were "cheesy," the tops could have been sent back as well. It just clearly shows what the priorities were.
-- Monica Potts
