Students at Wellesley College in Massachusetts have voted in favor of allowing transgender men and nonbinary students to be eligible for admission in a nonbinding ballot initiative. However, despite the vote, Wellesley College’s admissions policies do not allow transgender men to enroll. The college’s “gender policy” invites applications only from those who live as women and consistently identify as women, including transgender women, as well as nonbinary people who were assigned female at birth and who feel they belong in the community of women.
Of the approximately 30 women’s colleges that exist, Wellesley was part of a slate of women’s colleges that in 2015 announced they would begin admitting transgender women. Mount Holyoke College, also in Massachusetts, admits students regardless of gender, including transgender men and nonbinary students.
The vote at Wellesley College comes at a time when the rights of transgender people, particularly transgender youth, are at the center of national debates about how gender identity and sexual orientation are discussed in schools and the accessibility of gender-affirming healthcare. More than 400 bills targeting the rights of LGBTQ people have been introduced in state legislatures across the United States so far this year, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, creating what many transgender people describe as a climate of fear.
Students who supported the Wellesley ballot measure argued that the college’s administrators have not done enough to support transgender students in light of these political realities. However, Wellesley College President Paula Johnson stated that although there is no plan to revisit the school’s mission as a women’s college or its admissions policy, the college will continue to engage all students in the important work of building an inclusive academic community where everyone feels they belong.
The ballot initiative passed as part of the college government election process and also proposed using gender-inclusive language at the college. Alexandra Brooks, president of the college government, sees the divergent views between students and the administration about who should be able to enroll at Wellesley as proof of a generational “disconnect.” The board of trustees “represents a Wellesley from 50 years ago, which is very much not the Wellesley of today,” she told the Wellesley News.
Despite the restrictions, the ballot initiative sends a message of inclusivity and support for the transgender community on campus. While the college may not be ready to make changes to its admissions policy, the student body’s support of transgender men and nonbinary students is a step forward in creating a more inclusive and accepting environment.
