Male students from 27 schools in Nantes, France, wore skirts to school on Friday, May 16, to show their support for gender equality.
The action was to support a campaign called "Lift the Skirt," launched by the city's education authorities, but the idea actually comes from the pupils, The Local reports.
Those who did not want to wear a skirt could opt to wear a sticker saying "I am fighting against sexism, are you?"
The move caused quite a stir, with some right-wing politicians publicly taking a stand against it. Anti-gay French political activist Frigide Barjot asked on Twitter whether girls should be wearing beards.
.@benoithamon le 16/05, l'académie de Nantes invitent les garçons à porter une jupe ou se maquiller. Et les filles, elles portent une barbe?— Frigide Barjot (@FrigideBarjot) May 14, 2014
And some 150 members of anti-gay group "Manif pour Tous," which called the initiative "scandalous," held a protest against the move in front of the Lycée Clémenceau school in Nantes, the AFP reports.
Eggs were thrown and minor tussle between the two groups was reported. However, judging from the video (below) and the many tweets from students, it seems that for most of them, protesting for equality was also a lot of fun.
Les #jupes pour garçons sont de sortie au lycée Clémenceau de #Nantes http://t.co/ISkOXA3LL9 #LGBT #Androgine pic.twitter.com/idnGNCIFGK— Adrien de Nice (@Adrien2Nice) May 16, 2014
#journeedelajupe Nantes : pendant que la #ManifpourTous s'étrangle, les garçons luttent contre le sexisme avec humour pic.twitter.com/9gSsv9lTBL— Télénantes (@telenantesinfo) May 16, 2014
#JourneeDeLaJupe avec @Samuel_Lafont => Je comprends mieux son expulsion de #Forcevie pic.twitter.com/HCfzpIz3dn— grandludo (@grandludo) May 14, 2014
Regardez ces risibles moutons couillons ! Riez et faites tourner :-) #JourneeDeLaJupe #Terrorisme #Gender #LGBT pic.twitter.com/CKqlkWHreW— OlivieЯ L. Оливие Л. (@OlivierL31) May 14, 2014
Se mettre en jupe pour dénoncer le sexisme: des lycéens nantais ont osé ce matin au Lycée Clémenceau pic.twitter.com/6wpY7chCSE— Alexandra Turcat (@alexandraturcat) May 16, 2014
@aureliamoussly: Filles et garçons en #jupe ce matin au lycée Clemenceau de #Nantes pour lutter contre le sexisme pic.twitter.com/6Qrf5FTsCT— Aurélia Moussly (@aureliamoussly) May 16, 2014
Des lycéens en #jupe contre le sexisme pour la #JourneeDeLaJupe pic.twitter.com/FY9zPNiSRM (via @LeNouvelObs )— Charles Meiller (@CharlesMeiller) May 16, 2014
The "Lift the Skirt" campaign follows a wave of controversy over the new gender equality curriculum, introduced in France earlier this year. The "ABCD of Equality" deconstructs gender stereotypes, promotes equality and teaches tolerance of same-sex couples.