Will Tennessee's Ban of Women's Underwear Extend to State Employees?

The State Has an Interest in Your Underwear -- IF You Are a Woman.

Because prisoners men "don't need any help getting turned on," the good old boy State of Tennessee will regulate what women wear whenever they venture to visit prisoners, whether the women be mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, friends, ministers, journalists, attorneys, or social scientists.

It was Correction Commissioner George Little who offered the above sexist justification for regulating women's, but not men's, undergarments.

"Arousing undergarments such as thong underwear and bust-enhancing "water brassieres" won't be allowed into state prisons after Aug. 1, when a newly revised set of visitation rules takes effect."

Any woman found to be wearing a thong and/or water bra will be told to go home and come back when she is dressed like a lady. Cause men can't control themselves, or so some folks keep telling us. If the problem is really so dire, one wonders why the State of Tennessee permits women visitors to even enter the prisons.

Presumably the regulation of women's undergarments applies also to women who visit women.

We've heard nothing about a ban on sexy male undergarments. Male visitors are apparently free to wear briefs and flaunt 'tight packages' all over the Tennessee State prison system.

But the most interesting question is how will the banned undergarments be detected? A few years back when I conducted a series of interviews on death row at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison, I found the pat-downs to be already more than adequately invasive.

But as of August 1, exra attention will be given to feeling women's breasts and genital areas to determine if women are wearing Tennessee State approved bras and panties. Cause prisoners 'don't need any help getting turned on,' but prison staff apparently do.

An informal survey of women who wear thongs, reveals that the number one motive is the desire to go without panty lines, but an absence of panty lines may well be a 'turn on' to Commissioner George Little.

Given the State of Tennessee's well documented problems with sexual harassment, can a ban on unapproved undergarments for female state employees be far off?

Gender Misogyny Politics Tennessee Prisons Banned Underwear Feminist News Sexism Tennessee Correction Commissioner George Little Banned Thongs and Bras