Wellesley College Votes to Admit Trans Male and Nonbinary Applicants
CBS News.In a March 6 letter to students prior to the referendum, Wellesley President Paula Johnson reiterated that the school will move forward with “our mission as a women’s college,” arguing that recent developments have underscored the need for women-only spaces.“For nearly 150 years, Wellesley’s mission has been to provide an excellent liberal arts education to women who will make a difference in the world,” wrote Johnson. “Events of the last few years — including a pandemic that has had a disproportionate economic impact on women, especially women of color, new restrictions on reproductive health and freedom in the United States, and attacks on women’s rights and education across the globe — have shown that this mission is as urgent as ever.“Wellesley was founded on the then-radical idea that educating women of all socioeconomic backgrounds leads to progress for everyone.
As a college and community, we continue to challenge the norms and power structures that too often leave women, and others of marginalized identities, behind,” she continued. “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.
We have chosen a different path, one that aligns with peer institutions including Barnard, Smith, and Bryn Mawr colleges.”Johnson noted in her letter that some students who began identifying as male or nonbinary during their time at Wellesley may feel excluded by the college’s use of the words “women” and “alumnae.” “We commit to doing more to acknowledge and respect individual identities,” she wrote. “Despite the best efforts of faculty and staff, we know that students regularly report being misgendered.” She also listed the efforts that the.
