Catholic Women's College Faces Backlash for Transgender Policy: 'Betrayal'

Saint Mary's, a Catholic women's college in Indiana, is facing new backlash this week after a reported policy that will allow transgender women to be considered for admission.

On Wednesday, the Notre Dame student newspaper, The Observer, reported that Saint Mary's President Katie Conboy sent an email out to students detailing the school's non-discrimination policy, which was previously approved in June. According to The Observer, the email said that the school will start considering transgender individuals for admission in 2024.

"On June 23, the College's Board of Trustees approved an update to the Saint Mary's non-discrimination policy. This update includes a shift in our language about who we will consider for admission as well as about how we will support employees across the continuum of gender expression" a spokesperson for the college told Newsweek.

"In terms of admission, beginning in fall 2024, Saint Mary's will consider undergraduate applicants whose legal sex is female or who consistently live and identify as women."

Over the past several months, transgender issues have remained a topic of conservation, with many expressing opposing viewpoints. Many conservatives have criticized transgender individuals and some Republican-led states have sought to pass legislation limiting access to gender-affirming medical care for minors.

On the other hand, President Joe Biden recently expressed support for the transgender community while speaking on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, saying "There is no place for hate in America and no one should be discriminated against simply for being themselves."

Shortly after the report by The Observer, many took to social media to criticize Saint Mary's College, as it is one of the few women's Catholic educational institutions in the U.S.

"What a grotesque betrayal of its mission and its namesake. So in its homage to the gods of gender identity, will St. Mary's exclude and expel women who ID as men?" Ed Whelan wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

X user @clareanneath said, "As I told the @DailySignal, this decision 'is a rejection of God and his design.'"

X user @LisaBEzell wrote, "I'm deeply disappointed as a @saintmarys alum in this decision. The school has betrayed its Catholic mission."

Similarly, X user @ShannonPahls wrote, "I chose @saintmarys because of its mission to serve as a Catholic, women's college. This decision is a complete abandonment of that. Extremely disappointed in my alma mater."

Voicing support for the college, X user Paula Farina wrote, "Good for St. Mary's. I hope this trend continues. I know how welcoming and open college-age people are these days. It's so encouraging."

The Saint Mary's spokesperson told Newsweek that "We know there are those who do not agree with this policy update."

"Some of our current students, their parents, and alumnae have reached out to express their concerns. We also know there are others who support the more-inclusive policy and have written and called to let the college know."