Things Escalated Pretty Quickly When A School Posted A Quote Suggesting How Girls Should Behave

Oct 19, 2018 by apost team

Schools are supposed to be safe places where children are taught to be better citizens and students. One school in Houston, Texas, however might have overstepped a line when welcoming their students back from summer break. 

They put up a quote on the hallway wall which many believed to be an example of sexism and misogyny. It read "The more you act like a lady, the more he'll act like a gentleman".

The message was plastered above the lockers in the Gregory Education Center of the Houston Independent School District and could thus be seen by all students from pre-k to middle school, as well as their teachers.

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The Houston Public Media found out, that the quote was created by a woman named Sydney Biddle Barrows, an escort service's founder that now works as a writer and consultant. Many parents were questioning, why the school district found this quote to be appropriate in a place of education?

Lisa Beckman took to Twitter to show her disgust for the quote. Lisa shared, “This is the wall at Gregory-Lincoln Middle School in Houston ISD. It’s perpetuating horrible gender stereotypes, shaming women, and relinquishing boys of all responsibility. It’s sexist, misogynistic, and discriminatory!”

As the tweet went viral, it was clear that parents and concerned citizens were just as outraged as she was. Adults within the community began to contact the school district. Armed with complaints and pointing out the incredible victim shaming and misogynistic overtones of the quote, parents were able to show the district the error in their message.

The district responded with the following statement: "The input of our community is invaluable, and we appreciate that this was brought to our attention.”
Instead of defending the quote, the district pointed out how the words and their message did not align with the school's values. In light of the school's error in judgment, the offending quote was replaced with the inspiring words of Malala Yousafzai, a women's rights advocate and Nobel Prize laureate.

The new quote is one of empowerment and full of wisdom. “Do not wait for someone else to come and speak for you. It’s you who can change the world.” Many parents thought, that this quote is lightyears ahead of the one that the district initially chose. Coinciding with the curriculum, the quote introduces students to Yousafzi, as third graders will read her book "Malala's Magic Pencil" in class.

On social media, parents showed their support for the new quote. Commenters shared that the new quote was an "excellent change", as they hoped that the entire situation led to a dialogue of just how ineffective it is to teach females that they are the reason for the improper behavior of men. While most people fail to admit when they're wrong, it is refreshing to see a school district accept their wrongdoing and make an effort to fix their mistake. Check out this video commenting on it as well:

What do you think about the entire situation? Did the school do the right thing? Have you ever experienced something like this? Pass this article on to your friends and loved ones to raise awareness for the topic.