Two decades after the much-celebrated battle to preserve Oakland’s Mills College exclusively for women, an editorial by Jenna Spagnolo in The Campanil, the student newspaper, says it’s time for the college to live up to its promise by also welcoming transwomen. An excerpt:
Transmen are admitted to Mills, and indeed the College provides a safe space for many to transition. Yet hypocritically, transwomen who have not (or are unable to) change their government IDs from “Sex: M” to “Sex: F” are not allowed here, which privileges people who have money and can afford the extremely expensive cost of therapy, hormones, and other things needed to be recognized as female by the state.
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It’s surprising that Mills is practicing the opposite of what it teaches and preaches, which is social justice and equality. There is a strong queer community supported by professors and peers alike . . . By refusing to consider all who identify as women, Mills may soon be left behind by ever-progressing state and local anti-prejudice laws. Regardless, Mills should make the statement that anyone who does not identify as a man should have opportunities outside of male-centered, “co-educational” institutions.
