Florida Teen Protests Anti-Goth Rule: Is it Religious Discrimination?

[phoenixrising79]

Florida Teen Protests Anti-Goth Rule: Is it Religious Discrimination?

More fun Wiccan and Pagan news from the Sunshine State: it seems a teenage girl named Amaris Mulhauser was pulled out of class and send home, suspended for wearing Goth makeup at school. Mulhauser, who says she's never gotten a grade lower than a C, and has never before been suspended, is claiming religious discrimination, because her Goth makeup and dress is, according to her, part of her Wiccan faith. This has led to much discussion among Wiccans and Pagans alike.

Part of the problem is that the Brevard County school system has a ban on Goth-kid clothing, but not on any other clothing styles. If you're a skater, a preppy kid or a jock, you've got free reign to wear what you like. Thanks to the tragedy in Columbine, now any kid with black nailpolish and a eyebrow piercing is liable to end up eyeballed by school officials, marked as a potential trouble maker. The school principal says Amaris wasn't suspended because she's Wiccan or because of her Gothic fashion choices, but because of her extreme makeup and lip ring, which school district policy deems a safety hazard. The good news is that members of the school board were willing to listen to the concerns the Goth kids had, and have asked the district for clarification on the dress code policy.

Now, first, allow me to say that I've never felt compelled to dress like a Goth kid. Nor have I ever felt anywhere in my two decades of study that my clothing had ANYTHING to do with my religious beliefs. However, who am I to say that for Amaris, her clothing isn't part of how she expresses her faith? Sure, Wiccan does not equal Goth, but on the other hand, there's no big Wiccan Rule Book that says she can't dress in black and wear gobs of makeup if she feels it brings her closer to her faith.

In the meantime, the blogosphere will fill up with outraged Wiccans who are screaming that Amaris and her Gothwear aren't really Wiccan, because CLEARLY Wiccans are not Goths. However, what it sometimes comes down to is that just because another Wiccan dresses in a way I never would doesn't mean that her rights aren't as valuable as mine. Because really, if we don't support Amaris and her right to express herself, who's going to support us when someone complains about our Wiccan jewelry or the pentacle bumper sticker on our SUV's? Do you really want the Brevard County School Board to be the deciding compass on what does or does not constitute acceptable expression of the Wiccan faith?

[digitalsanity]

I get sick and tired of the "goth/freaks" claiming they must dress stupid because of their faith system...they usually are the reasons for people even in this day to think a pentacle reps a satanic symbolism.

when ones like that tell me they dress that way because they are Pagan, i usually respond with "Real Pgans don't want to be viewed as idiots by NO society"

In our circle of people NOT a one, out of over 100 people here in NOLA dress like some marlyn manson reject to gain attention to thier faith. Most are Lawyers, judges, established business men, and even a lot of blue collar workers as myself, that wear mostly works cloths.

I don't even own a shirt with some demonic rage type shit on it, i never dress in all black (to fuckin hot) So for morons like this case, they are just idiots, and prob only know what they read online about this belief system enough to do damage to it, in the publics eye..sad

edited to clear up what my point was about... She used being a Wiccan as an exscuse to defy ANY rules regardless to right or wrong, We are to close to being a well established religion in the WHOLE world and being reconised (accepted in society's eye) as not being an evil group of satanic evil doers... to have snot nosed brats claiming they are expressing society defiance because thier religion says it should do so, or whatever (come closer?..

The pinky ring I have is an Gold inlaid pentacle, I have seen people look at it, and go flush with fear.. I can see why when I see some kid with it as huge as it can get on a black T-shirt, and they have more holes in thier head then a pin cusion, and drewling on themselves via some crazy ass drugs he/she maybe on, smelling from lack of hygene, and claiming they do that because of their religion?

sorry I'll never accept that. be up front...and say "
I dress this way because its kewl dude hehe...hehe..hehe." but for the love of all things, never say it's because your religion makes you inspired to.

Even black hearted Pagan (real ones) wouldnt do that..atleast ones i know.

Blessed be =)

<font color="#B6B6C0" size="1">[ September 27, 2007 06:51 PM: Message edited by: -=Digital Jesus=- ]</font>

[phoenixrising79]

Thats a really good point. The only times I have worn all black were to a funeral, a club, sometimes during samhain (halloween), and during the winter (makes things a little less cold). But other than that, I don't usually wear all black. When I wear my pentacle, I've noticed that alot of people, especially bible thumpers view it in a negative light. It is really irritating for people to claim that they do illegal and stupid things in the name of religion. Then again, look back on history, and most wars were cause by a huge difference of opinion about such things. It is one thing to wear ritual symbols to exercise one's own constitutional rights, it is totally different when those same people are infringing on anothers constitutional rights in the process.

<font color="#B6B6C0" size="1">[ September 29, 2007 11:45 PM: Message edited by: phoenixrising79 ]</font>

[phoenixrising79]

Just an update:

Gothwear Update: Brevard Changes Policy
From the Pagan/Wiccan news files: Two weeks ago we talked about the case of Amaris Mulhauser, the Florida student who was being suspended from school for wearing Goth clothing, which she claimed was part of her Wiccan belief system. Looks like the Brevard County School Board has revisited the dress code, because they have agreed to remove the word "Goth" from the policy. You may recall that previously, only Goth styles were singled out as being disruptive, despite the fact that the jocks, hip-hop kids, and skaters sometimes broke the dress code. The district will continue to maintain its ban on facial piercings, extreme makeup, and clothing that portrays gang-related or violent messages. While some folks may complain about the fact that there's a dress code at all, at least the Goth kids are no longer being singled out for violation of policies.