Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, has reportedly rescinded a policy to consider accepting male applicants who “identify as women,” admitting that school “lost people’s trust and unintentionally created division” when it made the decision last month to consider transgender applicants.
“This has weighed heavily on our minds and in our hearts,” Saint Mary’s College President Katie Conboy said to faculty in a Thursday email, obtained by the Daily Signal, revealing that the board of trustees decided return to its original policy of only accepting female applicants.
A drag queen holds a flag of the transgender community inside a bus in front of the Angel of Independence in Mexico City (Photo by Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
September 20, 2023 : Hundreds gather outside the federal Harry Hays building in downtown Calgary as part of the cross-Canada ‘1 Million March 4 Children’ rally, expressing concerns about sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) curriculum in schools, on September 20, 2023, in Calgary, Canada. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“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 added.
The college president continued:
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,” Conboy 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,” she added.
Conboy had initially claimed that the decision to consider admitting male applicants to the women’s college was viewed as a “reflection of our College’s commitment to live our Catholic values as a loving and just community,” but noted that it became “increasingly clear” that “the position we took is not shared by all members of our community.”
As Breitbart News reported in November, Saint Mary’s College had approved a policy to consider admitting male applicants who “identify as women,” which would have effectively stripped the school of its ability to accurately call itself a women’s college.
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