Wellesley College used to be what was called a women’s college. In keeping with progressive orthodoxy, the school already admits trans women but some students have decided that’s not enough. Today the school will vote on a resolution to accept all nonbinary and trans men applicants as well.
The private Massachusetts college, which boasts on its website about being a place for “women who will make a difference in the world,” is holding the referendum after some students flagged concerns about the current admission policy.
Wellesley — whose alumnae include Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright — at the moment only accepts students who “live and consistently identify” as women.
The referendum, which is nonbinding, will ask students for their opinions on whether the admission policy should be opened up to include all transgender and nonbinary students.
The resolution voted on today in nonbinding, meaning the school isn’t under any requirement to accept whatever decision the students reach. Surprisingly, Paula A. Johnson, the school’s president, has come out against the idea. Last week she published a letter offering her reasons in what sounds to me like a very respectful and thoughtful way.
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. 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.
What does Wellesley mean by “a women’s college”? 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. Our community includes students from a broad spectrum of racial, ethnic, geographic, socioeconomic, and religious groups. We know that the experience of living and learning as part of a diverse student body leads to better educational outcomes and helps prepare students to be the leaders, changemakers, and citizens the world so desperately needs.
It’s important that all members of this community feel seen. Some transgender male and nonbinary students whose identities have evolved during their time here say they feel excluded by the College’s use of the words “women” and “alumnae”—and feel that their individual identities are not embraced.
At the same time, many students who are committed to Wellesley’s mission as a women’s college and who identify as women have been publicly criticized for that view and have felt pressured to describe Wellesley as a historically women’s college…
Going forward, we will continue to advance our mission as a women’s college while acknowledging and celebrating our students’ diverse identities. We will also continue to listen to all members of our community, to ensure that all feel seen here at Wellesley.
As we reflect on the College’s mission and identity, I ask that we remember to treat each other with respect, understanding, and grace. Wellesley benefits tremendously from all of your experiences and perspectives, and I am grateful for the many ways you contribute to the dynamic community of this extraordinary College.
As you probably could have guessed, the activists on campus did not like this at all. The student newspaper published an editorial taking a shot at the president for “transphobic rhetoric.”
We disapprove of and entirely disagree with President Johnson’s email. As journalists, we understand the power of rhetoric to do good or harm. The need for newspapers to take stances on their editorial standards is more important than ever, as demonstrated by the harm caused by The New York Times’ anti-trans pivot. In the past year, the Times has published “more than 15,000 words’ worth of front-page stories asking whether care and support for young trans people might be going too far or too fast.”…
College administration and the Board of Trustees have once again monopolized conversations about Wellesley’s community and future, conversations that should be led by students, who make up the majority of the College community. 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.
It’s noteworthy that President Johnson made an argument attempting to show respect for differing viewpoints and talking about the school’s special history. All the paper’s editorial board could really manage was to call her a transphobe. There’s no real engagement or even recognition that another point of view could be valid. You’re either with them 100% on admitting men and trans men to this women’s college or you’re a transphobic villain who must be held responsible for transphobic rhetoric. It’s almost enough to make you think the basic concept of a university, as a place where differing ideas are studied and considered, hasn’t penetrated for a lot of these students.
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