Oxford University to allow men to wear skirts

Oxford University comes up with a revolutionary idea to please its transgender student community as it has introduced a new academic dress code which allows men to wear skirts or stockings to exams and formal occasions while women can wear suits or white bow tie


The dress code is strictly enforced by the university authorities, which have the power to punish students deemed in breach of the rules.

However, the university's council,headed by Vice-Chancellor Andrew Hamilton, has dropped any distinction between the sexes by deleting all references to men and women.

While students are still required to dress appropriately for formal occasions and exams, they no longer need to ensure their 'sub-fusc' – the clothes worn with full academic dress – is distinctive'for each sex'.

The new academic dress code will be applicable from next month.

The reforms were introduced following a campaign by the student union, which argued that transgender students, including transvestite or 'gender confused' men and women, could face punishment if they wore 'inappropriate' dress.

Jess Pumphrey, the union's Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer executive officer, said the change would make a small number of students' exam experiences "significantly less stressful by eliminating the need for trans students to cross-dress to avoid being... Disciplined during their exam