A Catholic women’s college in Indiana has reversed its decision to admit transgender applicants following a month-long backlash — admitting it “lost people’s trust and created an unintentional divide” even as the university’s president defended the admissions policy.
College of St. Notre Dame-based Mary announced in November that it “will consider undergraduate applicants whose gender was assigned at birth as female or who consistently reside and identify as female” in 2024.
But on Thursday morning, president Katie Conboy sent an email to faculty confirming that the board of trustees decided to return to its original policy of only accepting biological women.
“This has weighed heavily on our minds and hearts,” Conboy wrote in the email, originally obtained by the Daily Signal.
“There are many voices responding to us from many places and perspectives. We have listened carefully and we have heard each of you,” he continued.
“Some worry that this is more than a policy decision: they feel it is a dilution of our mission or even a threat to our Catholic identity.
“Furthermore, we clearly underestimate the genuine desire of our community to be involved in such an important policy-making process.
“As this happened last month, we lost the public’s trust and inadvertently created a divide where we were hoping for this, we are very sorry.
President of the College of St. Mary Katie Conboy sent an email to faculty on Thursday announcing the board of trustees was reversing its decision to allow transgender applicants. Saint Mary’s College
“Taking all these factors into account, the Board of Directors has decided that we will return to our previous admissions policy.”
But Conboy continued to defend the transgender admissions policy, writing: “When the board approved this update, we saw it as a reflection of our college’s commitment to living our Catholic values as a loving and just community. We believe it affirms our identity as an inclusive Catholic women’s college. “
“While these are challenging times for our community, we believe that the college must continue to grapple with the complexities of living our Catholic values in a changing world. But we also believe the College needs to do that as a community,” he continued.
“The Board and Administration are firmly committed to ensuring a safe and secure environment for all.
“To this end, beginning in January, we will introduce a series of listening sessions — on campus and online for our extended family — to explore what it means to embrace our values as a Catholic women’s college.
“We will continue to work towards understanding how a college like ours can be a real home, a place with open doors and open arms, where everyone with all their differences is intact, belongs.”
The Catholic school based in Notre Dame, Indiana announced last month that it “will consider undergraduate applicants whose gender was assigned at birth as female or who consistently reside and identify as female” in 2024. Saint Mary’s College
The reversal in policy reportedly came after Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend met with Conboy and Sister M. Veronique, president of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, to discuss transgender admissions policies, according to the student-run newspaper. Observer.
He previously issued a statement saying college officials did not consult with him before making the policy changes, and said they fundamentally deviated from Catholic teaching on the nature of women.
“To call itself a ‘women’s college’ and admit male students who ‘consistently live and identify as women’ shows that the college affirms a gender ideology that separates sex from gender and claims that sexual identity is based on the subjective experience of the individual,” Rhoades argued. in reality.
Students at the college also said they were not included in the conversation about accepting transgender applicants, and some alumni even halted their contributions to their alma mater in response.
After Conboy announced the school would reverse his decision, many spoke with relief.
“I’m so proud of the women of St. Mary’s who are willing to stand up to this anti-woman, anti-Catholic policy,” Claire Bettag, a junior at the school, told the Daily Signal.
“God’s truth will always prevail.”
Catholic students and leaders spoke out against the transgender admissions policy, with some alumni even stopping their donations. Saint Mary’s College
Claire Ath, who graduated in 2018, also explained: “When this admission decision became public, hundreds of alumni united to defend the Church and its teachings.
“While I hope the reversal is because the administrators realized that we must teach the truth with love, my guess is the opposite is because the alumni came together, pulled their donations, alerted their diocese and the media and said we will not let our women’s college be ruined. by secular gender ideology.”
News of the reversal was also welcomed by Catholic leaders.
“This is a very wise reversal and a welcome endorsement of the need to protect the purpose and integrity of Catholic colleges for women,” said Brian Burch, president of Catholic Vote.
“There is nothing unfair or discriminatory about protecting women from men who seek to redefine biological reality,” he said.
“Being Catholic is acknowledging the truth about who we are, including the unique and complementary roles of men and women. Those who try to cloud this belief must be opposed.
“St. Mary’s College deserves credit for coming back to sanity,” Burch said.
But not everyone agreed, with Faithful America – a Christian organization pushing for social justice – expressing shock at the reversal of the transgender policy, which it supported.
“The news of the painful reversal of St. Mary erupted as Faithful America prepared to send thousands of mostly Catholic signatures to the College thanking them for their historic and Christ-like involvement that has now been reversed,” WSBT reported.
“The change is heartbreaking,” he said.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
