Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana is back tracking on its decision to allow men who identify as transgender women to enroll in the formerly all-female institution.
The Daily Signal reported in November that Saint Mary’s College would allow men who identify as women to enroll at the college in the fall of 2024. That news was first reported by the Notre Dame student newspaper, The Observer.
In an email obtained by The Daily Signal on Thursday, President Katie Conboy addressed the outcry from both their community and alumnae since the decision.
“This has weighed heavily on our minds and in our hearts,” she said in the email, sent around 11 am on Thursday. “There have been many voices responding to us from many places and perspectives. We have listened closely, and we have heard each of you.”
Conboy claimed the initial decision was viewed as a “reflection of our College’s commitment to live our Catholic values as a loving and just community” — but said that it is “increasingly clear” that “the position we took is not shared by all members of our community.”
She wrote: “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. Moreover, we clearly underestimated our community’s genuine desire to be engaged in the process of shaping a policy of such significance. As this last month unfolded, we lost people’s trust and unintentionally created division where we had hoped for unity. For this, we are deeply sorry.”
“Taking all these factors into consideration, the Board has decided that we will return to our previous admission policy,” she said. “Although this has been a challenging time for our community, we believe that the College should continually grapple with the complexity of living our Catholic values in a changing world.”
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