Smith College today announced that the school's Board of Trustees "voted to clarify Smith’s undergraduate admission policy to include self-identified transgender women." Since 2013, GLAAD has worked alongside Smith alumnae to urge the college to open its doors to all women.
"No person should be denied an education simply because of who they are," said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. "By opening its doors to transgender women, Smith College has joined a growing number of educational institutions that respect and afford equal opportunity to all women."
In a statement posted to the school's website, Smith College President Kathleen McCartney wrote:
The board’s decision affirms Smith’s unwavering mission and identity as a women’s college, our commitment to representing the diversity of women’s lived experiences, and the college’s exceptional role in the advancement of women worldwide.
Other women's colleges like Mount Holyoke College, as well as Mills College and Simmons College, have also updated their policies to ensure that transgender women's applications are fairly considered.