YES: This historic women’s college will now admit transgender women

Transgender women have been ruling the news recently, and we’re all about it: There’s the Girl Scouts clarifying and affirming their position on trans members, Caitlyn Jenner’s exuberant coming out, and Laverne Cox looking flawless with her OITNB squadmates on the cover of Essence, and now, news that Seven Sisters school Barnard College is formally opening its door for trans women.

While many of the historically female-only schools that comprise the Seven Sisters have since clarified their admissions standards, Barnard hadn’t set a formal policy in place until now. The New York Times lays out the specificities of the school’s new admissions policies.

While Barnard’s policies don’t allow for the entry and education of trans men or non-binary people, we’re glad to see the school clarifying its position and taking steps to engage with trans rights and issues. Here’s hoping the public conversation around and support of transgender rights continues on, and, as Laverne Cox herself put it, is “changing hearts and minds about who all trans people are as well as shifting public policies to fully support the lives and [well-being] of all of us.”

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