Who Wears the Pants?

Recently, the LDS Church changed the dress code for its female missionaries. This change was widely accepted by the Latter-day Saint community as a nod to the evolving views of its members and leaders. However, in 2012, Mormon feminists began a campaign called ‘Wear Pants to Church Day’ in an effort to normalize the wearing of pants to church services. Some participants in this ‘quiet protest’ reported that they were not well received in their congregations when breeching social norms of acceptable Sunday attire. In this session we will discuss the ways in which religion informs processes of social identification and community construction in the Latter-day Saint community.

Jennifer Crow, Nancy Ross