Catholic Women's College Backtracks on Transgender Policy After Outcry

Saint Mary's College, a Catholic women's college in Notre Dame, Indiana, has reversed a new policy that would consider transgender women for admission following public outcry.

In November, a local student newspaper, The Observer, reported that Saint Mary's had notified students of an update to its non-discrimination policy, which was approved in June. Saint Mary's would have considered cis women as well as individuals who "consistently live and identify as women," for admission beginning in fall 2024, according to the college.

However, Saint Mary's received backlash after its decision, on social media, and, according to the college, from their own campus community.

The LGBTQ+ community, especially the transgender community, has been targeted in recent years as they fight for inclusion and equal rights. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is currently tracking more than 500 anti-LGBTQ bills across the U.S. While progressives push the LGBTQ+ community to be protected, conservatives see them as a threat to gender and sexuality norms.

The Saint Mary's College Board of Trustees "reflected on the sense of division we have experienced in our campus community and among our extended alumnae family since this decision was communicated," top-ranking officials at Saint Mary's said in a letter to the college community, which was obtained by Newsweek.

The letter, written by Saint Mary's President Katie Conboy and Board of Trustees Chair Maureen Karantz Smith, said that "the Board has decided that we will return to our previous admission policy."

The college explained why it chose to change its policy in the first place and its reasoning behind reverting to the old one.

"When the Board approved this update, we viewed it as a reflection of our College's commitment to live our Catholic values as a loving and just community. We believed it affirmed our identity as an inclusive, Catholic, women's college," the letter said.

"It is increasingly clear, however, that the position we took is not shared by all members of our community. Some worried that this was much more than a policy decision: they felt it was a dilution of our mission or even a threat to our Catholic identity."

Claire Bettag, a junior at Saint Mary's, praised the college for reversing its new policy.

"I'm so proud of the women at Saint Mary's who were willing to stand up against this anti-women, anti-Catholic policy," Bettag told The Daily Signal, a conservative political news site. "God's truth will always win."

Caroline Downey, a reporter at the conservative magazine National Review, said that while Saint Mary's recent decision is considered a win, the college should be put on probation.

"St. Mary's should be on probation as a Catholic-designated school for even attempting to pull this, but it's a W," Downey wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Riley Gaines, a former competitive swimmer who has spoken out against trans women in women's sports, wrote on X: "After severe backlash, Saint Mary's College has reversed its transgender policy to make the college an all-female institution once again. So in short, Saint Mary's caved to the pressure of their donors pulling out. As they all do."

Clare Ath, who graduated from Saint Mary's in 2018, also questioned the motive behind Saint Mary's decision.

"When this admissions decision became public, hundreds of alumni banded together to stand for the Church and her teachings," Ath told The Daily Signal. "While I would hope the reversal is because administrators realized we must teach the truth with love, my guess is the reversal is because alumni banded together, pulled their donations, notified their diocese and media, and said we will not let Our Lady's college be corrupted by secular gender ideology."