Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: kilroy@gboro.glassboro.edu (Dr Nancy's Sweetie) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: QUESTION FASHION Message-ID: Date: 15 Jun 91 06:10:16 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Glassboro State College Lines: 33 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Hugh Gibbons writes that the prohibition against cross-dressing aims at dressing for the purpose of looking like a member of the opposite sex. Mike Bushnell replies by asking how one knows the purpose; if he wore a dress it would be for humor value, not to imitate a female. I'd like to suggest a case where men put on dresses specifically to fool others into thinking that they are female: police officers on mugging detail. If a police officer dresses to look like a woman for the purpose of catching criminals, I assume that would be okay -- *even if* the goal of the dress was to imitate a member of the opposite sex as best as possible. Mike also writes: > When women wore pants, and were criticized by people quoting just the >passage in question, they weren't doing so in order to look like men, they >were doing so in order to wear more comfortable clothes (and other reasons >as well). And I was wondering whether Joe Buehler actually meant to say that clothing which makes work easier is not appropriate for women. Suppose you are in an upside-down car in a ditch; the paramedic who climbs through your windshield to check your pulse happens to be female. Do you really want to hamper your rescuer by asking her to wear a dress? kilroy@gboro.glassboro.edu Darren F. Provine ...njin!gboro!kilroy "Miss Manners go sick of the fight over pants long ago -- it was raging on a level with fights over lengths of hair for men, which is a poor excuse for a good fight. Miss Manners also has a pretty good idea that most people are well aware of how they can dress to shock or to conform; which they wish to do is up to them." -- Judith Martin