We’re certain that notices almost identical to this one have gone out on college campuses nationwide, but Jason Rantz found an Instagram post by the HUB (Husky Union Building) at the University of Washington. Cultural appropriation is out, so no dressing like a Mexican or an Egyptian or a geisha or a ninja or a g***y.
The University of Washington posted a list of costumes not to wear for Halloween.
Hey, students: where whatever you want to wear.
I wrote about why here: https://t.co/OFzGYYbfWD pic.twitter.com/YV8pklemnW
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) October 30, 2021
In case that tweet got cut off, here’s the list of problematic costumes for the #IAmNotACostume campaign:
– An Egyptian person
– A Mexican person
– Day of the Dead
– A Geisha
– A Romani (sometimes referred to using the slur, g*psy)
– An Indigenous person or person of colour (though it is okay to dress as a particular individual e.g. Obama or Snoop Dog – as long as you do not try to embody their racial identity by doing black face, brown face, wearing cultural garments or wigs representing Black hair like dreadlocks)
– A Ninja
– A prison inmate
– A mentally ill person in a psychiatric facility
– A transgender person (there’s a difference between dressing as a trans person as a joke/mockery and dressing in drag. Many folks use Halloween as a safe opportunity to play with their own gender and drag has a long history of being connected to Halloween)
– A Hula Dancer
– A homeless person
– Fat suits
– Costumes that make fun of sexual and gendered violence (e.g. “flasher”)
– Costumes that degrade or dehumanize sex workers, dancers, etc.
Recommended
We just need to know … can you dress as a pimp, or does that degrade sex workers?
Can they list what IS ok? I’m not sure I get it.
— Wood (@Zynnwood) October 30, 2021
What’s wrong with a Ninja costume? pic.twitter.com/yhCP62OrV0
— DMV (@theDMVguy001) October 30, 2021
https://twitter.com/TheRealJamesFB/status/1454547042416480259
If I dress as a skeleton, are anorexic people offended?
— DeepPurple (@crazyCAcatlady) October 30, 2021
White people can only dress like inanimate objects going forward. Everyone else, carry on.
— Kami (@kamiingrapevine) October 30, 2021
Dressing up as a prison inmate has been canceled?
— Seattlebro (@cougar1550) October 30, 2021
https://twitter.com/Apocalypse17Now/status/1454550057814933504
No.
What about Pilgrims, Vikings, Leprechauns & Cowboys, if none of those are from your cultural history? Or does this not apply to all cultures?
— Maxwell Coug '11 (@MaxwellCoug) October 30, 2021
A survey this summer found that Notre Dame’s leprechaun mascot was determined to be one of the nation’s most offensive.
As a person of Irish and Norlander "viking" descent, y'all have my permission to dress up as leprechauns or Vikings.
— Sari Not Sari Dr. Elon Musk Gigacharlatan (@xenomorpher1) October 30, 2021
So "Slutty Canadian" is OK?
— Bryan Suits KTTH Seattle (@darksecretplace) October 30, 2021
Is nudity acceptable then?
— Sam📿 (@SamMoline1) October 30, 2021
This is a really good list of costume ideas. Thanks UW.
— Jon Arbuckle (@JonArbu70447082) October 30, 2021
We’re surprised they didn’t put “witch” on the problematic list as offensive to Wiccans.
Related:
The Anti-Defamation League is now policing Halloween costumes https://t.co/WGyFBGO87c
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) October 25, 2021
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