Salem College transgender student wants to stay on all-female campus as man

[Shana A]

Salem College transgender student wants to stay on all-female campus as man

Posted on: 9:20 pm, January 11, 2013, by Ali Scotti
   
http://myfox8.com/2013/01/11/salem-college-transgender-student-wants-to-stay-on-all-female-campus-as-man/

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Winston-Salem Journal) —- An undergraduate at all-female Salem College is asking to remain on campus after undergoing an operation in February to complete her transition to a man, and college officials are looking at whether to create a policy on transgender students.

Founded in 1772 by Moravians, Salem College is a four-year liberal-arts school for women. It has enrollment of 1,100 students, including men who are 23 and older who take undergraduate courses at the Fleer Center for Adult Education. However, only female students are allowed to live on campus, according to the school's website.

Michelle Melton, a college spokeswoman, declined to identify the student who is becoming a man, citing fed-eral educational privacy laws and Salem's privacy policies.

The issue has upset Annie Webb, a 2005 Salem graduate, who sent an email to fellow alumnae on Jan. 5 that said a traditional student will be undergoing gender reassignment surgery in February — going from female to male – and plans to continue his education as a student living on campus.

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Salem College transgender student wants to stay on all-female campus as man

Posted: Friday, January 11, 2013 7:54 pm | Updated: 12:28 am, Sat Jan 12, 2013.
John Hinton/Winston-Salem Journal

http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/article_a3d18568-5c52-11e2-9e64-0019bb30f31a.html

An undergraduate at all-female Salem College is asking to remain on campus after undergoing an operation in February to complete her transition to a man, and college officials are looking at whether to create a policy on transgender students.

Founded in 1772 by Moravians, Salem College is a four-year liberal-arts school for women. It has enrollment of 1,100 students, including men who are 23 and older who take undergraduate courses at the Fleer Center for Adult Education. However, only female students are allowed to live on campus, according to the school's website.

Michelle Melton, a college spokeswoman, declined to identify the student who is becoming a man, citing federal educational privacy laws and Salem's privacy policies.

[Elspeth]

Is there a story on this that is not from a Fox source? The story raises many more questions about the political infighting with college admin than it seems to have much to do with the student. I like that the admin are respecting the student's privacy in this, and all the focus seems to be on fear and mistrust from some alumnae who feel the college's single-sex status could be compromised when that seems to be a non-issue from what's being said by admin.

Satisfying and placating alums' anxieties at any college is almost always a viper's nest, whatever the original trigger might be. In this case it seems to have almost nothing to do with the student's transness, but confidentiality seems to mean that reporters don't have much fact they can report. Not that Fox reporters would do that even if they did have facts.

I'll probably be looking for some credible sources on this, considering my fairly fixed opinion of Fox as infotainment, not news.

[Shana A]

Is there a story on this that is not from a Fox source?

I've edited my above post to include the source article, which seems to have been copied verbatim by Fox.

[Elspeth]

More depth. Salem College has at least one faculty member, Elroi Windsor, whose interests, from his profile, include FTM Transgender studies.  Sounds like a very nice and curious guy, dedicated to Salem's mission as a women's college.

A longer, more reflective article appears at The Roanoke Times. The article actually reviews the transgender policy at another women's college, Winthrop University. It's of interest, though, in that it is longer, and concerns an actual policy, and compares it to policies that have come up in recent years at other women's colleges, many of which recognize the need to come up with a sensitive and humanitarian approach to coping with students who transition while at such colleges.

Not linking to Cathy Brennan's blog, though it came up high in the search. Her very brief article only seems to link to an almost identical news story from the local paper (the one you added in your edit) and contains an unsubstantiated assertion that I hope Brennan will choose to address, though I have my doubts, considering Brennan's tendencies to seek discord.

[Simon]

I just came across this story on my local news. A transguy is transitioning and wants to stay at a female only College. Just curious what everyone's thoughts on this subject are. I personally think he should have to transfer to another school. When you decide to medically transition and be seen as fully male (not androgynous or gender queer) in society then you take what consequences go with that decision. Not being able to attend an all female College would be high on the list of things you can't do anymore,imo. Here is a direct link to the story:

http://myfox8.com/2013/01/11/salem-college-transgender-student-wants-to-stay-on-all-female-campus-as-man/

Do you think he should stay? If so, why?

If you think he should transfer elsewhere, what other "privileges" can you think of that one would necessarily abandon once they begin medical transition from female to male?

[Adam (birkin)]

Personally, I think he should transfer. I say that as someone who is way more comfortable around women. If he was a cis man he wouldn't have a choice in the matter.

[Darrin Scott]

I'm more confortable around women myself and I think he should transfer. I don't know why you'd want to stay. I mean, it's an all girl school. That would make my dysphoria go sky high.

[~RoadToTrista~]

Personally, I think he should transfer. I say that as someone who is way more comfortable around women. If he was a cis man he wouldn't have a choice in the matter.

I agree.

[anibioman]

if he wants to be respected as a guy he needs to follow the rules in regards to guys.

[aleon515]

Well I've heard of early transitioning guys (maybe not on T yet) but this sounds like someone who is post transition. Actually can't understand it. I think I'd feel profound social dysphoria in such a situation. There would be tons of situations-- use of bathrooms, address in the classroom ("ladies"), etc etc.

BTW, I know of a guy who graduated from Smith. Has to think of all sorts of things when people ask where he graduated.

I figured out I was trans this past year, so I know how someone could end up in the situation. What would you do if you had one more year or something after you'd found out. It seems like you'd lose a lot of credit. OTOH, he's obviously had a lot of time.

Sounds like he is trying to make an issue out of it.


--Jay

[aleon515]

This is a much better article (but not about the same kid). The title is kind of lame.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/magazine/16students-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

--Jay

[Elspeth]

Personally, I think he should transfer. I say that as someone who is way more comfortable around women. If he was a cis man he wouldn't have a choice in the matter.

If he were a cis male he would never have been admitted and therefore this would not have been an issue at all.

Transfers can rarely be managed without losing credits, especially late in one's college career. I'm sure if he had infinite money he would probably choose to transfer too.

Reading between the lines, it seems to me the school is trying to respect his situation and his privacy. There are alums making noises, seemingly without much thought or empathy. Mostly it seems like just one alum, though, jumping to conclusions that don't seem to be supported by what little the head of the trustee's feels he's a liberty to say. It reads like they would like to handle this as a one-off situation if they can get everyone to sign off on going that way, rather than make a policy based on one student's needs... granted, this will probably come up again, considering that FTMs are now the majority of those seeking transition, and the age of transition keeps getting younger.

[Elspeth]

Well I've heard of early transitioning guys (maybe not on T yet) but this sounds like someone who is post transition. Actually can't understand it. I think I'd feel profound social dysphoria in such a situation. There would be tons of situations-- use of bathrooms, address in the classroom ("ladies"), etc etc.

BTW, I know of a guy who graduated from Smith. Has to think of all sorts of things when people ask where he graduated.

Not everyone puts a priority on passing. Did you happen to see Cloud Atlas? I'm thinking of Sonmi's line about her struggle between self-preservation, which would have pushed her to blend in and disappear, vs. the decision that turns her into a martyr and a human rights icon.

I have to wonder, given the profile of the faculty member I mentioned, whether this student is not seeing his position as a kind of living activism to balance between the uninvited need of himself as a transman to act in his own interest about his identity, while also finding a way to undercut trans invisibility?  Have to wonder at least until some other shoes have fallen.

[Jamie D]

Fox8 in the Winston-Salem area is the local network affiliate of Fox.  They are owned and operated by local interests and produce local news coverage.

It is mistaken to confuse a network-affiliate with the network itself, or the Fox News Channel.

[Elspeth]

Fox8 in the Winston-Salem area is the local network affiliate of Fox. 

The Fox8 story is also a nearly verbatim copy of the local news article from the Winston-Salem newspaper.

[Elspeth]

This is a much better article (but not about the same kid). The title is kind of lame.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/magazine/16students-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

--Jay

Perhaps relevant to the current story (and the assumption that transfer would be preferrable) is this paragraph from the article:

Indeed, as one transmale student I spoke to at Wellesley pointed out, women's colleges are uniquely suited to transgender students. "There's no safer place for transmen to be than a women's college because there's no actual physical threat to us," he told me, adding, "I have more in common with women because of that shared experience than I do with men." And even though Rey chose to leave Barnard for a coed school, he also says that women's schools can — and should — act as havens for transmale students, that they are, in fact, natural beacons for trans people, because "feminists and trans activists are both interested in gender."

[suzifrommd]

I personally think he should have to transfer to another school.

Personally, I think he should transfer.

I don't know why you'd want to stay.

I agree.

Wouldn't transitioning, dealing with the transmedical establishment, learning to live as a man, etc. be hard enough on the guy? Wouldn't it kind of be adding insult to injury to leave his college (and probably a lot of his friends) and start over again, getting used to a new place after he's just transitioned?

Should all transgender people divorce their spouses when they transition? After all, same sex marriage is against the rules in most places? Sort of the same thing, isn't it?

Isn't there something to be said to allowing people who are going through the very traumatic act of transitioning to maintain some constancy in their lives, even though it may be inconvenient for those around them?

I do agree it is inconvenient. Accommodating diversity is always inconvenient. Much cheaper and less effort for everyone to act the same.

To me denying admission to males seems very different from kicking someone out (or "persuading" them to leave) after they have been admitted, maintained good standing, and committed no crimes, simply because he finally faced up to his gender issues.

[Elspeth]

To me denying admission to males seems very different from kicking someone out (or "persuading" them to leave) after they have been admitted, maintained good standing, and committed no crimes, simply because he finally faced up to his gender issues.

Very, very different indeed.

[Simon]

To me it seems as though this guy wants dual privileges. He wants to be recognized as a man physically in the World so he goes through medical transition. Then he wants to be privileged in staying at a women's college. Sorry, but he should have took this into consideration before transition. From what I have read, men over 23 (not sure the age of the guy) are allowed to take classes at the college but men are not allowed to live on campus. There are no men's dorms and no coed dorms.

I don't understand why people think they are entitled to be involved in everything. Everything is not for everyone. I wouldn't try to go join the local "Red Hat Society" because I know that is a social group for elderly women. If I was foolish enough to try I wouldn't get upset when I was told no.

[Elspeth]

To me it seems as though this guy wants dual privileges. He wants to be recognized as a man physically in the World so he goes through medical transition. Then he wants to be privileged in staying at a women's college. Sorry, but he should have took this into consideration before transition. From what I have read, men over 23 (not sure the age of the guy) are allowed to take classes at the college but men are not allowed to live on campus. There are no men's dorms and no coed dorms.

We really have no idea what the guy wants. The story only quotes those who found out about his request to finish the year, and the statement from the head of trustees (and that second statement was a masterpiece of saying almost nothing in many, many words).

I'm looking at this from the POV of my trans son, who is:

• Struggling to convince his mom that he has considered the consequences and is ready for top surgery
• Is "accepted" as male-identified by his gap year program, yet expected to deal with living in shared housing with 4 or 5 cisgendered women (not something he's at ease with, but adapting to)
• Without other factors, he would like to go to college presenting as male as possible
• Given reality, that's not very likely, even after top surgery, but is almost certainly not going to happen without it.
• He's fortunate that he's not dealing with conflicts like those in an all-girls school, but on the other hand, as the NYT article points out, at least some of the top tier women's colleges have shown leadership in being sensitive to the fact that as someone who has undergone female socialization, there's a case to be made that such schools can be in some ways a more supportive environment, at least for some transmen. My son doesn't want to go to one, but I can respect the perspective of someone who does/did.

I don't see any simple answers in this situation. Giving benefit of the doubt to the college admin, what I know from the story (which may be distorted, and is almost certainly incomplete) is that they appear to be trying to deal with the situation in as sensitive a manner as possible, though busybody involvement from alums (or possibly just the one alum who's been gadfly behind the story) seems to be complicating that.

Admin wants to handle this privately and with respect to the student's privacy and confidentiality, while third parties who seem to not know the student at all or know his motives are using it as fodder to cast doubt on the competence and integrity of admin and trustees. All too common situation in academe, not isolated to gender issues.

There's an assumption in comments on this that Salem College has an actual formal policy on this situation, when it seems clear from the head of trustees comment that they don't have one, and that they may not be prepared to develop one at the present time.  In the absence of a formal policy, given that he was admitted there, it seems as reasonable to expect that he be allowed to finish at the college that accepted him, as that they would have an issue. The noise is coming from alums. There's nothing in the story to suggest that any students are asking for him to transfer or withdraw.