Male teachers wear skirts to school in support of student who was expelled for wearing one

Male teachers in Spain have been wearing skirts to school in solidarity with a student who was suspended for wearing one.

Per Metro, the phenomenon started last year when, in October, a student named Mikel Gomez was suspended and forced to see psychologists after he wore a skirt to a school in Bilbao, Spain.

Outraged by the outdated dress code, some teachers have been standing by Mikel by donning a skirt of their own as part of the Clothes Have No Gender (#laropanotienegenero) movement.

Manuel Ortega, 37, and Borja Velazquez, 36, who teach at Virgen de Sacedon primary school in Valladolid, joined the movement after a student of theirs was bullied for his anime T-shirt in May.

The boy was harassed and called homophobic slurs, prompting him to change his outfit. So, since then, Ortega has been wearing a skirt to school, along with Velazquez, in order to "promote tolerance".

Velazquez tweeted of the movement: "A school that educates with respect, diversity, co-education, and tolerance. Dress how you want! We join the campaign #clotheshavenogender."

The teachers told El Pais that the purpose of wearing skirts to school was not for an opportunity to go viral on social media, but to "increase tolerance and respect" and encouraged other teachers in the country to take part.

Jose Piñas is another teacher who donned a skirt in solidarity with others in the movement. He even tweeted a photo of himself in the outfit, writing: "20 years ago I suffered persecution and insults for my sexual orientation in the institute where I am now a teacher."

He went on to say: "Many teachers, they looked the other way. I want to join the cause of the student, Mikel, who has been expelled and sent to the psychologist for going to class with a skirt."

Since the incident, November 4 has widely become a "wear a skirt to school day", with hundreds of teachers and students alike joining in.

Mikel, the student who was suspended for wearing a skirt, had posted a video on TikTok explaining that his intentions were to support feminism and diversity.

Featured image credit: Andor Bujdoso / Alamy