Festival of Trees teenage-female volunteer turned away for wearing pants

[Gormy Cuss]

From Utah:

Festival Chairwoman, Marie Partridge, says the festival makes it very clear that men are to wear slacks, and women are to wear dresses or skirts, no pants. Partridge says a dress on a female volunteer, and slacks on a male volunteer helps those visiting the event know who is part of the festival, and patrons can ask questions and voice concerns. Kaiser says her professional pant suit, which she intends to wear during college interviews in a few months, would have made it obvious to people attending the event that she was part of the volunteer staff.

“I had worn this because I thought it would best represent my professional attitude my love for service, and I was turned away,” says Kaiser.

Partridge says the rules regarding the dress code have been in place since the beginning of Festival of Trees around 44-years-ago. Kaiser says that policy is antiquated.

Even 44 years ago this was a ridiculous dress code.

http://www.kutv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/Festival-of-Trees-teenage-female-volunteer-turned-away-for-wearing-pants-62245.shtml#.VIdjBMmYg8Z

[seaglass]

1. Wow Gormy did you read some of the comments? Why did she have to make a big deal about wearing

a skirt, why couldn't she just get along? No respect for rules or authority! JFC.

Proud of this young woman for taking a stand. The woman running the org/volunteers is a fool.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. I know, frightening isn't it?

The homogeneity of Utah supports that attitude, I suspect.

[SouthernLiberal]

2. Hmmm...a dress code to help visitors tell who is 'part of the festival'

Does this mean that it is normal in Utah for women to wear slacks and men to wear dresses and skirts?

[Gormy Cuss]

4. Or the visitors are all nude. n/t

[Panich52]

5. Yes, even ridiculous 44 yrs ago

1971 was long after Cher claimed "I'll never wear a dress again" (OK, bad example). But it was near center of "the 60s" when women rediscovering feminism was a part of that revolutionary age. Name of the event sounds much more "Age of Aquarius" than the gender-specific dress code suggests.