Oakland, California Moving To Remove Crossdressing As A Crime
by: Autumn Sandeen
Fri May 07, 2010 at 14:00:00 PM EDT
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/16069/oakland-california-moving-to-remove-crossdressing-as-a-crime (http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/16069/oakland-california-moving-to-remove-crossdressing-as-a-crime)
The news from Oakland, California went into the "Bizarre News" section of the Associated Press's news clips for May 5th (at least as posted by ABC-12 news in mind-Michigan):
Guys will soon be able wear skirts in Oakland -- legally. The Northern California city is moving to lift a 130-year-old law against cross-dressing. The City Council has voted 7-0 to remove the ban from the municipal code. A final vote is set for May 18. The ordinance outlaws dressing "in the attire of a person of the opposite sex." Officials say hardly anyone knows about the cross-dressing law, and it's never enforced.
That's right, this sexist law on the books for about on-hundred-thirty years. And, as interpreted by today's news gatherers as a law that doesn't allow men to wear skirts, it's considered a bizare and comical story. However, no comment at all is made about how limiting gender expression also limits what women can legally wear as well.
Funnily enough it is actually still technically illegal for a woman to wear trousers in Paris! (of all places) Likewise this law is never enforced but it remains on the city ordenances along with a load of other strange prohibitions.
So it's not just Oakland folks - and technically I'm a parisienne criminal!
US has many weird laws, like not shooting whales form your car window in OK. ( I think it is OK)