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This morning the U.S. Supreme Court made it's ruling in the case of
Katherine Garrett v. Iowa Living History Association, Inc.
Ms. Garrett sued the ILHA Inc. for denying her civil rights to participate in a Civil War recreation. ILHA Inc. did not allow Garrett, wearing a 'zouave vivandiere' uniform, a female uniform, to participate in a 1998 reenactment as an artillery crew member.
A spokesman for ILHA said that Ms. Garrett's gender was not the issue. The issue was authenticity since no Vivandieres worked artillery pieces during the war. ILHA's case was that they would have allowed Ms. Garrett to participate if she had been dressed as a man.
The court ruling sets a new standard for Living History groups nationwide. Women will now be able to participate in mock battles wearing correct clothing for the era, but not clothing deemed proper to the part they play or to the gender they are portraying.
As a member of the 11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, a zouave unit that wears fancy uniforms based on the French Algerian elite troops of the 19th Century, Garrett would have to wear baggy red pants to participate as a man or the skirt if she portrayed a vivandiere.
"The baggy red pants are not flattering to my build. I would prefer to wear them and pass myself off as a man, but they [the pants] make my posterior seem huge."
The Court ruled that artistic expression is a right guaranteed by the First Amendment. Ms. Garrett's interpretation of events is as important as what is recorded in history books.
"We don't believe this should prevent Ms. Garrett from participating in these displays" according to one Justice's opinion. Her desire to not wear pants that make her butt loom large needs to be respected as well. She can't be forced to wear clothing, historical or not, that makes her ass seem larger.
In one dissenting justices opinion he stated APRIL FOOLS
Greg Starbuck
Katherine Garrett v. Iowa Living History Association, Inc.
Ms. Garrett sued the ILHA Inc. for denying her civil rights to participate in a Civil War recreation. ILHA Inc. did not allow Garrett, wearing a 'zouave vivandiere' uniform, a female uniform, to participate in a 1998 reenactment as an artillery crew member.
A spokesman for ILHA said that Ms. Garrett's gender was not the issue. The issue was authenticity since no Vivandieres worked artillery pieces during the war. ILHA's case was that they would have allowed Ms. Garrett to participate if she had been dressed as a man.
The court ruling sets a new standard for Living History groups nationwide. Women will now be able to participate in mock battles wearing correct clothing for the era, but not clothing deemed proper to the part they play or to the gender they are portraying.
As a member of the 11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, a zouave unit that wears fancy uniforms based on the French Algerian elite troops of the 19th Century, Garrett would have to wear baggy red pants to participate as a man or the skirt if she portrayed a vivandiere.
"The baggy red pants are not flattering to my build. I would prefer to wear them and pass myself off as a man, but they [the pants] make my posterior seem huge."
The Court ruled that artistic expression is a right guaranteed by the First Amendment. Ms. Garrett's interpretation of events is as important as what is recorded in history books.
"We don't believe this should prevent Ms. Garrett from participating in these displays" according to one Justice's opinion. Her desire to not wear pants that make her butt loom large needs to be respected as well. She can't be forced to wear clothing, historical or not, that makes her ass seem larger.
In one dissenting justices opinion he stated APRIL FOOLS
Greg Starbuck
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