Students at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) can now freely choose a uniform that matches their gender identities and gender expressions.
PLM has officially adopted an administrative order removing sex-based guidelines on school uniforms on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
“This is a simple yet meaningful gesture to demonstrate that PLM is a safe space for academic freedom and gender expression,” PLM President Emmanuel Leyco said.
Under Administrative Order No. 21-ACA, which took effect Nov. 16, enrollees may now wear either a plain white polo with the PLM patch or a white blouse with a tie as their top, paired with either blue-gray pants or skirt. It also prescribes closed black shoes for all students.
From Mondays to Thursdays, students are required to wear uniforms while civilian wear may be worn from Fridays to Sundays and on declared “free days.”
Those with medical conditions as well as those whose religious beliefs or cultural traditions are exempted from such rules upon coordination with the Office of Student Development and Services.
The move was welcomed by members and allies of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, (questioning), intersex, asexual, and agender (LGBTQIA+) community in the university, particularly the PLM Propaganda, an in-campus association of LGBTQIA+ members.