Missouri House Dress Code For Women Legislators: Following a discussion that Democrats derided as a meaningless diversion from the state’s crises, women who serve in the Missouri House will face a stricter dress code when they return to the floor this week.
Female lawmakers and staff members must comply with the new regulations by donning a jacket, such as a cardigan or a blazer. The Republican member who proposed the amendment claimed that it was implemented to maintain decorum and conform to the dress code for men. Democrats mocked it, claiming that women shouldn’t be policed for their choices in clothing.
The amendment, proposed by Republican Rep. Ann Kelley, clarifies language in the House rules so that the clothing code for women will be the same as the dress code for males. She stated during Wednesday’s floor discussion, “I have felt obligated to present this amendment to ensure this happens. It is necessary to always maintain a formal and professional tone on the House floor.”
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In her original proposal, she stated that women must dress professionally, specifically in a “jacket,” which would include “blazers and knit blazers.” After a heated discussion, a revised amendment was agreed upon to clarify that a cardigan was also acceptable.
Men were previously required to wear a jacket, shirt, and tie when serving in the Missouri House of Representatives. Women were expected to dress in “dresses, skirts, or slacks worn with a jacket or sweater and appropriate dress shoes or boots,” according to the former dress code. There was no need for an additional layer of clothing. Democrats seized on Kelley’s claim that maintaining decorum was a significant motivation behind her proposal.
Rep. Ashley Aune, a Democrat, said, “I’ve seen a lot of lack of decorum in this place in my two years here, and not once has that lack of decorum driven from someone’s blazer or lack thereof.” “There are many ways we could violate the rules of etiquette in this space. However, a woman looks foolish in what she is wearing.
Aune continued by claiming that despite abiding by the dress code, she had been individually questioned about it. Do you understand how it feels to have several men in the room scrutinize your top to decide whether it is proper or not? she asked.
Image Source: nytimes
According to Virginia Ramseyer Winter, director of the Center for Body Image Research and Policy at the University of Missouri School of Health Professions, lawmakers shouldn’t have even brought up this topic for discussion because doing so unnecessarily shifted the conversation away from the issues to how women look.
The assumption that we value women more for their attractiveness than other, more significant qualities like their knowledge and contributions is reinforced, she claimed.
For all those bemoaning “men telling women what to wear” in the #Missouri State House: note that it was a woman–Rep. Ann Kelley, R-Lamar–who proposed the dress code. She is Exhibit A of a footsoldier of the patriarchy https://t.co/xIqntzi9Ir
— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) January 12, 2023
The discussion over the abortion restrictions lawmakers passed last summer after the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, according to Ramseyer Winter and other opponents of the proposal. She asserted, “I believe it also communicates the idea that we must police women’s bodies.
Democratic Representative Raychel Proudie objected to the proposal before it was changed to add “cardigan.” Because “they don’t create jackets or blazers for ladies who are pregnant,” she noted, it wouldn’t be simple for pregnant women to comply. That can make you feel awful, especially in a pro-life state. If you think this is interesting, please share it with your friends. For more updates and the latest news regarding celebrities, Visit Digitalnewsexpert.com.
