Outrage after Missouri lawmakers implement a stricter dress code for women in the state House:

Missouri lawmakers on Wednesday adopted a brand new costume code for girls within the state Home, requiring them to cowl their shoulders. The stricter costume code was half of a bigger new guidelines bundle, and handed with a vote of 105-51. 

The costume code instantly drew criticism from native Missouri politicians, who took to Twitter to specific their frustrations. The brand new costume code even has its personal hashtag: #Sweatergate.

“I by no means thought my first nationwide interview could be about what I can and can’t put on as a feminine lawmaker,” stated Democratic Missouri Consultant Ashley Aune. 

Aune gave an impassioned assertion in opposition to the invoice on the Home flooring, asking her fellow lawmakers, “Have you learnt what it feels prefer to have a bunch of males on this room your high, making an attempt to determine whether or not it is applicable or not?” 

The Missouri Home has 116 males and 43 girls. The Home majority is held by Republicans, with 111 Republicans to 52 Democrats.

In response, Rep. Ann Kelly, the Republican Congresswoman who sponsored the invoice, stated, “You’d assume that every one you would need to do is say, ‘costume professionally’ and ladies may deal with it.” 

Within the Missouri state Senate, there isn’t any rule requiring girls to put on blazers or jackets.

In an announcement on Fb, Kelly wrote, “How is encouraging professionalism fallacious? If there’s ever a time to honor traditions and be skilled it’s on the Home Chamber Flooring within the Missouri Home of Representatives; I can’t apologize for standing up for these items.”

“Perhaps belief that ladies—who have been within the crosshairs of your newest piece of madness—can costume professionally on their very own volition with out your feeble effort of management and stripping girls of their rights,” learn a remark from Monday on Kelly’s submit.

“Completely disgusting that as a grown lady, able of energy in a rustic of individuals struggling you might be extra involved about shoulders than actual issues dealing with your constituents,” learn one other.

A 3rd Fb person made a comparability between the brand new regulation and the dystopian drama “The Handmaid’s Story.” 

Whereas Kelly’s preliminary modification stated that ladies could be required to put on a “jacket,” which may additionally embrace “blazers and knit blazers,” a revised model was later adopted to make clear {that a} cardigan might be worn as nicely. 

Beneath the prior present costume code, girls have been required to put on “clothes or skirts or slacks worn with a blazer or sweater and applicable costume footwear or boots” with out a required second layer, reported the Related Press.

Aune was not the one member of Congress who commented on the brand new restrictions. 

Maggie Nurrenbern, a Democratic state Consultant from Missouri, posted pictures of her naked arms, writing in a separate tweet that it was “mind-boggling that members of the Missouri Home have the appropriate to bear arms on the ground of the chamber, however girls legislators are forbidden from displaying the identical.” 

“Simply completed flooring debate explaining why knit blazers don’t embrace cardigans on an modification proscribing what girls can put on within the Home,” said one other Missouri Democrat, Rep. Jamie Johnson, on Twitter. “Why would we want further class limitations to the concept anybody may symbolize the individuals?” 

Even out-of-state politicians responded, with California Congressman Eric Swalwell tweeting, “Republicans proceed to codify their model of sexism and misogyny however let’s hear extra about that gasoline range outrage,” in response to an article concerning the passing of the Missouri costume code.