Say Anything Blog

Pink has become a hot new color among students in the Northwest Indiana school district, and that has school administrators worried.

From Indystar.com:

Officials have banned pink clothing for the remainder of the school year out of concerns that the color has become associated with gang activity.

Administrators last week told students at the city's high school and two middle schools to avoid wearing pink clothing or accessories, said Michael Berta, associate superintendent in the Northwestern Indiana district.

"There is no evidence of gang activity. But because of the growing use of the color pink we decided to be proactive. Girls and boys are supposed to avoid wearing pink," Berta said Monday.

None of the district's 6,500 students have been disciplined for wearing pink, he said.

Berta said the issue came up at a recent administrator's meeting when a principal remarked that there were more students wearing pink. "Not only were there more kids wearing pink T-shirts and pink hats, but also pink shoelaces, which was unusual," he said.

So, to get this straight, there has been no evidence of gang activity or other trouble-making involving the pink clothing. There has only been a proliferation of the color pink among the clothing worn by students. Is that really enough to effect a clothing ban?

Are our school administrators really so reactionary as to set pre-emptive bans based on fashion changes? In the article, a local clothing merchant stated that the color pink is very popular in fashion right now and that about 30% of the products her store sells have the color pink in them. Don't you think that a fashion trend is maybe a better explanation than gang-related activity?

Plus, what kind of a gang wears pink? Seriously, I'd like to know what gang in the history of mankind has chosen pink as its color of choice?

Sometimes I think these school administrators need to get out a little more often.