Schools do not dance around sexism

In the name of equality, high schools host a Sadie Hawkins style dance- a dance in which girls are encouraged to ask out guys. This suggests the existence of gender specific roles within relationships, and to have a Sadie Hawkins style dance subverts the traditional idea of what a relationship should be.

Although the practice may give power to women by providing them with a chance to have a more active role within the relationship, it saddens the heart to know that women must be encouraged to ask out men; it saddens the heart to know that this does not come naturally.

Some may scoff and say “it’s only a date,” but how far off are we from the suffrage movement? Women do not have an active role in choosing what happens in society then, and it is not traditional for them to have an active role within their own lives today. Guys usually ask out girls, but why must that be a tradition?

Additionally, the theme of Sadie Hawkins insinuates a segregation against same-sex couples. If schools encourage girls to ask guys to dances, then there should be girls-ask-girls dances, or guys-ask-guys dances, or even-my more preferred option- a dance in which only platonic friends are encouraged to go together.

In no way do I disagree with the concept of Sadie Hawkins, I just do not like the underlying message it sends: it is so rare for a woman to ask out a man, there needs to be a special event in order for it to happen.