Universities in the United States are gearing up for Halloweeb but instead of preparing their costumes, they are preparing for something bigger. Several universities have already taken the stand where they would fight against gender discrimination, racism and other offensive Halloween costumes as they call out for respect and diversity.
The University of Florida made headlines as they joined other universities in fighting racism and gender biases. A memo was released by the university urging their students to avoid Halloween costumes that may impose stereotypes.
Costumes inflicting gender, cultural and religious discrimination was said to be prohibited. The reminder, which was published in the Gator Times, highlighted the importance of diversity within the college campus and the community.
"Some Halloween costumes reinforce stereotypes of particular races, genders, cultures, or religions," the memo wrote. "Regardless of intent, these costumes can perpetuate negative stereotypes, causing harm and offense to groups of people."
Halloween originally started with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts, as mentioned in History. It was then noted that they will honor the martyrs every first of November. It is the time of the year where children and adults would dress up as their favorite character and other scary figures. Over time, however, the essence of Halloween already diminished as people started to dress up in a way that they're subtly promoting gender biases, racism and discrimination in religion.
The University of Massachusetts also expressed their stand in fighting against racism in terms of the students' costume. MEdia-ITE mentioned that one student from the university dressed up as a "sexy Pocahontas," which gathered backlash for "hypersexualized racism." As parents, it is important to educate the children about other culture and teach them to be sensitive when it comes to respecting the culture, beliefs and religion.
As a parent, what's you take on letting your children dress up for Halloween? Do you have Halloween costume idea for kids that are gender neutral and unbiased? We would love to hear from you. Send in your thoughts through the comment section below.
