School policy forbids kids from saying 'no' when asked to dance

[meadowlander]

12. It's not "just a dance". It conditions girls to think that they shouldn't say "no"...

that avoiding hurting other peoples' feelings is more important than listening to their instincts.

Add this dance to thousands of other similar situations, plus everything they are told in the media and by their peers and you end up with women who smile, grit their teeth, and nod their way into and through horrific experiences of rape or sexual harassment.

The "teachable moment" here isn't "do what you don't feel comfortable doing, little girl, to spare other peoples' feelings". It's that "sometimes people say no, little boy, and that's not the end of the world".