A gay student who started an online petition after he was suspended for wearing nail polish has seen his school district reverse their discriminatory dress code after more than 400,000 people signed their names in support.

Trevor Wilkinson had initially described that upon returning from Thanksgiving break last year with painted nails, he was handed a suspension. Wilkinson was then told if he refused to remove the polish, he could remain in suspension or move to virtual learning.

Wilkinson stood firm, claiming the school district’s dress code was discriminatory. He started a Change.org petition describing the school’s overreaction to his nail polish, “I am a gay male and I’m beyond proud… Help me show that it is okay to express yourself and that the identity that society wants to normalise is not okay.”

In an interview at the time, Wilkinson elaborated, “It’s 2020 and we should be progressing and not taking steps back. And it makes me really sad because I know that there are other people who feel like this and feel like they can’t express themselves and that they never will be able to because of people like this, who are not open-minded enough to see another perspective.”

Weeks after his suspension, Wilkinson addressed the school board at a meeting and asked them to note that the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas had a mere two months previous contacted 400 of the state’s school districts about their discriminatory policies.

He told them, “Why is it against dress code for a man to be comfortable with his masculinity and defy the gender norms that society has imposed on us. Better yet, in what way is it harmful for me to wear nail polish?”

Now, after months of discussion, the Clyde Consolidated Independent School District have announced their new policies for 2021, including a new dress code which no longer bans boys from wearing nail polish or makeup.

After the new policies were announced, Wilkinson described that although he had received a lot of backlash, he had received even more support – “you’re going to get knocked down, but it’s about getting back up and it’s about sticking up for what you believe in.”