A photo of Elizabeth Mckenzie's outfit, which did not follow Fanshawe's Wellness Centre's dress code.
A Facebook post claiming Fanshawe’s Wellness Centre’s dress code is “sexist” has received over 700 shares online.
Elizabeth Mckenzie, a student at Fanshawe, says she posted to social media after being kicked out of the gym for wearing inappropriate attire.
She told XFM news she was working out with her male friend at the time.
“I had taken off a top that was the same length as the one underneath, and immediately was approached by security,” she said.
“They told me that I had to cover up because it was improper attire. I pointed out that my friend was wearing a top where his rib cage and nipple were exposed. That’s when I called them sexist.”
From there, security escorted Mckenzie out of the gym for not following dress etiquette.
“They have these posters all over the gym that show what you can and can’t wear. The problem is that when I signed a contract, it read ‘proper gym attire,’ which I was wearing at the time. What I signed and what is posted are two different things,” said Mckenzie.
Mckenzie took to social media, where she posted a photo of her outfit. Included was a lengthy post describing her story. In the post, she claims the school’s dress code is “sexist” and “outdated” to match today’s standards of equality.
“The more people that notice sexism still exists in our institutions, the faster we can really achieve true equality,” she said.
According to Mckenzie, her experience at the gym isn’t a one time thing.
“So many girls have reached out to me about similar experiences. What Fanshawe needs to understand is that we want equality for men and women to wear whatever they want.”
Mckenzie says administration cited sanitary reasons for her outfit’s inappropriateness, but security’s response was something entirely different.
“About a month ago, a male security guard told me that the dress code is in place because men can’t control themselves. I’m sorry, but I’ve seen girls wear far less to the gym. There’s just no way that my outfit was distracting to the point that men literally couldn’t focus,” she said.
Since making the post public, Mckenzie says she has now been banned from using Fanshawe’s school gym.
She has since been in contact with FSU President Morgana Sampson for help in changing the dress code.
When XFM news asked the wellness centre for comment, no response was given.
