Media advisory: Expert can comment on all-female colleges agreeing to admit transgendered students

LAWRENCE — A University of Kansas researcher is available to provide historical context about two all-female colleges agreeing to officially admit transgendered students and becoming the first higher education institutions in the country to put such policies in place.

After Mills College in Oakland, California, and Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts have made changes to their admission policies, additional all-female colleges are expected to follow suit, according to national news reports.

Katie Batza, assistant professor in the Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, researches LGBT politics, particularly as they relate to health and social movements and how institutions respond to political trends. Batza is available to speak about the significance of the decisions at Mills and Mount Holyoke colleges.

Batza said all-female colleges were initially created as a safe place for women and to allow women to excel during times when education for women was not valued in a real way. After the 1970s, these colleges became hot spots for feminism and activism, so the decision to admit transgendered students represents somewhat of a natural progression, she said.

"It shows an embracing of a broader definition of feminism and a broader definition of gender inclusivity," Batza said. "That, I think, shows the gains made by transidentified folks and gender-queer folks generally and encourages a more rigorous and inclusive understanding of gender just generally."

She added that with Monday's U.S. Supreme Court decision that rejected appeals from five states seeking to preserve their same-sex marriage bans and prohibition of gay marriage likely "taking its final laps," the LGBT community is trying to decide what major social issues it will take on next, which could likely be related to rights of individuals of a transgender identity.

To arrange an interview with Batza, contact George Diepenbrock at gdiepenbrock@ku.edu or 785-864-8853.