All-women Wellesley College to vote on admitting trans individuals

Students at Wellesley College, a first-rate liberal arts school that has solely accepted women for the earlier 150 years, are set to vote Tuesday on whether or not or not transgender and nonbinary candidates ought to be allowed to use.

The private Massachusetts college, which boasts on its site about being a spot for “women who will make a difference in the world,” is holding the referendum after some school college students flagged issues regarding the current admission protection.

Wellesley — whose alumnae embrace Hillary Clinton and Madeline Albright — in the interim solely accepts school college students who “live and consistently identify” as women.

The referendum, which is nonbinding, will ask school college students for his or her opinions on whether or not or not the admission protection ought to be opened as a lot as embrace all transgender and nonbinary school college students.

The ballot moreover asks whether or not or not the language used inside the college’s official communications ought to be further gender-inclusive.

Wellesley’s president, Paula Johnson, who opposes the referendum, warned school college students in a letter ultimate week that the outcomes of the ballot question wouldn’t have any impression on the faculty’s insurance coverage insurance policies or practices.

Johnson talked about the ballot was in its place a chance for school youngsters to “express their views” on the controversial problem.  

“We are not a ‘historically women’s college,’ a term that only applies to women’s colleges that have made the decision to enroll men,” Johnson wrote. “We have chosen a singular path, one which aligns with peer institutions along with Barnard, Smith, and Bryn Mawr colleges.

“In accordance with our admission policy, Wellesley admits applicants who identify and live consistently as women, regardless of the gender they were assigned at birth,” she added.

The school college students who oppose the current admissions protection have argued the faculty isn’t female solely on account of some classmates have transitioned to male or begun determining as nonbinary whereas studying there.

It wasn’t immediately clear what variety of of Wellesley’s 2,500 school college students set up as trans or nonbinary.

They added that just a few of Wellesley’s trans and nonbinary school college students actually really feel excluded by the use of the phrases “women” and “alumnae” in quite a few college communications.

Johnson sought to cope with these issues, saying it was important all school college students “feel seen” and that the faculty was engaged on discovering a steadiness.

“Wellesley is a women’s college that admits cis, trans, and nonbinary students — all who consistently identify as women. Wellesley is also an inclusive community that embraces students, alumnae, faculty, and staff of diverse gender identities,” she argued.

“I believe the two ways of seeing Wellesley are not mutually exclusive. Rather, this is who we are: a women’s college and a diverse community.”

The scholar newspaper’s editorial board penned an op-ed accusing the college of collaborating in “transphobic rhetoric.

“For now, we would like to emphasize that President Johnson’s response is part of a broader trend of Wellesley’s administration and the Board of Trustees intervening in student discourse, which sets a problematic precedent,” the editorial talked about.

“We also want to remind the Wellesley community that President Johnson is the spokesperson for the Board of Trustees, which must be held equally responsible for the College’s transphobic rhetoric.”