BATH

Recent talk of gown colors at Morse High School has spurred an outcry from community members, and has resulted in some “transphobic” responses.

A decision last week by administrators that would have all seniors wear blue caps and gowns for graduation this year was quickly rescinded following heated protest from alumni, parents and students. Traditionally, male students have worn blue caps and gowns, while female students have worn white.

Students can now choose between the two.

As students and community members flocked to social media to express their thoughts, some comments had taken an ugly turn.

According to transgender student Ashton Love, a screen shot of a “transphobic,” rewritten school song was circulated in a group message last week following the announcement of implementing uniform gown colors.

In the screen shot, a student claims to have created “a new song,” that includes the lyrics: “when we hear the he/she’s cry, we give in to their problems and leave the straights to die.” It was taken down shortly after.

Love, who has “a pretty good sense of humor,” had laughed after reading the message.

“I just can’t take some kids’ hatred seriously, especially when the issue of kids wearing a certain color apparently translates to ‘leaving the straights to die,’” Love said. “That’s so over the top and ridiculous, as well as the fact that they apparently don’t know the difference between sexuality and gender.”

Principal Jay Pinkerton was also aware of the circulated message, but noted that no one had come forward with the screen shot or complained of being offended.

“If it spills into the school and causes a disruption or if it was vulgar or pointed at a particular group of people … there are laws in the state of Maine now that schools can reach that far if it’s threatening in any way,” he said on Monday.

Though Love was confident that the administrators “are doing everything they can” to address the situation, Love was also disappointed that the decision was rescinded.

Love and other transgender students had proposed either dual colored gowns or the uniform blue gowns to administrators, as the colors are “largely viewed as gendered, which gets weird and uncomfortable for trans kids, especially the non-binary” — gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine.

“Around graduation time a year ago, we were approached by some students who asked if we would reconsider, (as) many schools were looking at any gender-based policies that they had, not just graduation, and taking into account the new realities, and will we consider doing something different,” Pinkerton said.

He noted that uniform graduation colors are becoming a trend across the country, including Maine, as nearly ten schools in the state have changed to single colors in the past two or three years.

However, some Morse alumni were quick to disagree.

Shelley Marston, a 1994 graduate from Morse, and others felt that the two colors should remain intact.

“Let history carry on through that school,” she said in a Facebook comment. “Hence the school song — ‘fight, fight blue and white.’ Girls are girls and boys are still boys no matter what they think they are. Deem yourself as students proud of that school for one day, and wear the historic colors they always have been.”

Brian Hatch, a former Morse teacher and alumnus, hoped having an option between two colors would be a “workable solution for all.”

“I hope this latest stirring of emotions results in a wise solution that will appeal to all,” he said in an email on Monday.

While Pinkerton acknowledged that this year’s decision “isn’t ideal for every situation,” he hoped to revisit the issue and work to “(communicate) the reasons behind this recommendation.”

“I do think it is something that we’ll revisit and involve students in the discussion when they revisit the matter in a future year,” Superintendent Patrick Manuel said.

dkim@timesrecord.com

Facebook comment

• SHELLEY MARSTON, a 1994 graduate from Morse, said, “Let history carry on through that school. Hence the school song — ‘fight, fight blue and white.’ Girls are girls and boys are still boys no matter what they think they are. Deem yourself as students proud of that school for one day, and wear the historic colors they always have been.”