Two female journalists barred from entering because they had sleeveless tops.
To anyone not in vicinity of DC, it gets HOT this time of year. Sleeveless blouses and dresses are the norm, as long as they are still professional. It should be noted that our former FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, frequently wore sleeveless attire.
Having lived/worked in DC for a decade, yes it gets hot, but I think too much is being made of this story. This is another story meant to distract from what's really going on. All government buildings are very well air conditioned, first of all. Second, these dress codes have existed for decades. No one is allowed to be sleeveless, male or female. Flip flops are also not allowed, neither are shorts or jeans. All they had to do was throw a light cardigan or jacket on and problem solved. This is a story that confirms the biases of the Right ("Oh those leftist fake journalists, can't do anything right"), while inflaming the biases of the Left ("This is just more oppression"). I think we all need to continue to keep things in perspective, because stories like this are crumbs tossed down from on high, that the oligarchs use gleefully to watch us pigeons below fight over.
This incident sticks out for more than a few reasons, and not all because it's just about proper work attire.
First of all, NOWHERE is it WRITTEN what constitutes proper attire on the congressional floor. It's left to the "discretion of the Speaker." Basically, whatever is proper attire is whatever that person's opinion happens to be.
Second, the CURRENT Speaker, clearly defined attire for men as "coats and ties", while defining it for women as "what I deem appropriate." Thus, leaving it open to HIS interpretation. So, while the other gender has a clear definition, the females literally have to ASK FOR PERMISSION.
Sorry, I've never worked at a place that didn't have a written dress code, so employees could sign off on it.
Third, the reporter in question wasn't ON THE ACTUAL FLOOR. She was passing through the speaker's lobby, trying to get through one hallway to another. And the Speaker stopped her from going through because of her no-sleeves attire. Sorry, that sounds petty to me. What kind of b.s. was he trying to prove or enforce with this? Other than being an ass?
It was also suggested it was a smokescreen for Ryan not talking to the press, something he is making a habit of lately.
Finally, I find it ironic as hell that these same people screaming about Sharia law have no problem with this kind of thing. I guess because it's not Muslim, that makes it "okay."
And for the argument about the dress code, sleeveless has been routinely OK in DC and elsewhere, as long as the straps were thick enough. And I routinely see men rolling their sleeves up to their upper arms if they wear polo shirts, no one bats an eye.
Nope, this is just a weird fixation on a woman's body and an oddly arbitrary time to enforce the rules. Particularly for a female journalist.