Wellesley students to vote whether to include trans men at women’s college: 'Students' instead of 'women'

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Wellesley College has educated women and those who "identify as women," but students are voting on Tuesday on whether it should allow biological females who currently identify as men to enroll as well.

The official website for Wellesley College noted that the institution "was founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant, who were passionate about the higher education of women." In terms of more recent politics, the website has an entire FAQ section declaring that those "assigned male at birth who identify as women" and even those "assigned female at birth who identify as non-binary" are eligible for admission. 

However, the university reportedly is holding a vote over a nonbinding call to include biological females who identify as males. This will not change school policy so much as be a declaration of how the student population feels.

"On Tuesday, its students will vote on a referendum that has divided the campus and goes straight to the issue of Wellesley’s identity as a women’s college," The New York Times reported. "The referendum, which is nonbinding, asks whether admission should be open to all nonbinary and transgender applicants, including trans men. Currently, the college allows admission to anyone who lives and consistently identifies as a woman."

BOSTON, MA - MAY 26:  (L-R)  Wellesley College President President Paula Johnson and Hillary Clinton on stage prior to Clinton's delivering the Commencement Address at the Wellesley College 2017 166th Commencement Exercises at Wellesley College on May 26, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts.  Clinton graduated from Wellesley College in 1969 and majored in political science.  (Photo by Paul Marotta/WireImage,)

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The Times went on to add, "The referendum would also make the college’s communications more gender inclusive — for example, using the word ‘students’ or ‘alumni’ instead of ‘women.’"

The same outlet described the college president, Paula Johnson as holding firm to the stance that Wellesley is "a women’s college that admits cis, trans and nonbinary students — all who consistently identify as women."

The Wellesley News, the college's paper wrote in February, "College Government President Alexandra Brooks ’23, who claimed that there is a widening gulf between what Wellesley was in the past, even from how it was a few years ago as social mores have shifted."

Schneider and Billings Hall, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA. (Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

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"I will say, from my experience, there is a disconnect between the student body and the administration over what students want, particularly the board, because a lot of them are older and it’s not a very diverse board," Brooks added. "[The Board of Trustees] represents a Wellesley from 50 years ago, which is very much not the Wellesley of today, even Wellesley five years ago is very different from the Wellesley of today."

The same article also quoted student senator, Ailie Wood, "Wellesley is not currently a women’s college. You interact with students of all genders every day. Your classmates are trans and nonbinary, your favorite events are run by trans and nonbinary students, and the people you pass in the dining hall or on the sidewalk every day are trans and nonbinary students.

The student senator went on to say, "Wellesley was founded as a women’s college because they wanted to create a safe and supportive learning environment for people who were marginalized based on gender. Such a place should welcome and support trans women, trans men and nonbinary people as well."

People gather in support of transgender youth during a rally at the Utah State Capitol Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Salt Lake City. Transgender politics has risen in the past decade and reshaped many of America's institutions\. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

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President Johnson had shared in a public statement in March that she rejects the idea of becoming a college that merely has a "historic" or past commitment to women as a group.

"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," Johnson wrote. "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."

Even so, she also issued commitments to defending "gender- and sexual orientation-affirming therapy," "all-gender bathrooms," and even an "all-gender changing/locker room" on campus.