In the Philippines, where many secondary schools and even universities impose rigidly gendered uniform

and hair-length restrictions on students according to the sex they were assigned at birth, ostensibly for
school discipline or pride, this type of public humiliation is all too common for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender (LGBT) students, as documented in a new Human Rights Watch report. Yet, teachers and
administrators sometimes offered little to no justification for these requirements when students
inquired about the policies at their respective schools. Felix, a gay high school student in Legazpi, stated,
"I've questioned them if having short or long hair will effect my success as a student." Felix is 22 years
old. The administrator responds, "No, simply chop your hair, you're a guy.

The strong disciplinary measures taken by teachers and administrators against non-compliant students
frequently include denial of access to school property, expulsion from classes, suspension from school,
or public reprimands and embarrassment. Alarmingly, a number of the children we spoke with reported
prolonged absences from class, switching schools, or even quitting altogether in order to avoid
confrontations with professors and officials who were hostile to LGBT and non-gender conforming
pupils.

End Gendered Uniform Restrictions for LGBT Students in Philippine Schools. (2017, June 23). End
Gendered Uniform Restrictions for LGBT Students in Philippine Schools | Human Rights Watch.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/06/23/end-gendered-uniform-restrictions-lgbt-students-philippine-
schools

In-Text Citation: (End Gendered Uniform Restrictions for LGBT Students in Philippine Schools, 2017)