School fines transgender student for wearing skirt; classmates wear skirts in protest
A school in Brazil has had to back down after one of its teachers fined a transgender student for wearing a skirt to school.
Maria Muniz, a 17-year-old transgender student, said she had never felt happy as a boy and decided to come out by donning a skirt at school.
She said: "I always turned up in trousers but I felt repressed and for me wearing a skirt was about expressing my freedom over who I am inside and not how society sees me."
However Maria, who was born Mario Muniz, found that Colégio Pedro II school ruled the skirt was against their rules as it did not conform with its student code of ethics stating that boys must wear trousers while girls can wear skirts or trousers.
Maria was fined, but her classmates - boys and girls - rose to support her by wearing skirts at school.
Pic: Facebook.
The image went viral on social media as did the the hashtag #VoudeSaia (wearing a skirt).
I think this is awesome and I love to see people doing the right thing whether others agree or not #VouDeSaia http://t.co/eFoa6iVKhP
— El Michelle (@TellMe_El) September 23, 2014
Faith in humanity, RESTORED. Support for EQUALITY! #VoudeSaia
— Amanda Kirk (@akirk621) September 22, 2014
You're a brave person Maria Muniz #VouDeSaia Love and support from Queens NYC USA http://t.co/WIfwECmfQJ http://t.co/8bXFlMW458
— Lawrence Nelson: He/Him/His/Himself (@Lordlnyc) September 22, 2014
Maria was blown away by the gesture.
She said: "I am really happy about the way my classmates supported me and I hope it serves as an example to others to feel encouraged to do the right thing. I was always taught at school to accept who you are, I am only trying to live that."
After the protest, the Brazilian school principal said they were considering relaxing the school rules.
"The sexual orientation is not important for us, all our students are equal. However, the uniform determines male and female clothing, but we will study a new manual of coexistence," he said.
