YOUR FAVORITE LOGO TV SHOWS ARE ON PARAMOUNT+

What Happens to Trans Kids Who Come Out at All-Girls Prep Schools?

Some trans youth don't feel safe coming out at single-gender secondary schools, reports Reuters.

A new report from Reuters is exploring what happens to transgender youth who come out at single-gender preparatory schools.

Among the dozens of administrators at girls prep schools around the country contacted by Reuters, some expressed awareness of trans issues and a commitment to establishing more inclusive policies. Others said they approach the topic on a case-by-case basis, which is in line with the official recommendation of the National Coalition of Girls Schools. Others still, including D.C.'s National Cathedral School, have taken no actions to create a formal policy, despite having trans and non-binary students in attendance.

The issue is fraught, says Joanne Glusman, president of LGBTQ youth advocacy group Main Line Youth Alliance. These elite prep schools hope to maintain a legacy of empowering young women while also adapting practices to accommodate a contemporary understanding of gender identity and fluidity.

It's an important topic to consider, Glusman adds, since many trans students at single-gender prep schools simply "don't feel safe or comfortable coming out."

Steve Debenport/Getty Images

Cheerful Hispanic private middle school student smiles before class. She is standing in her classroom. He has a braid and is wearing a backpack and a school uniform. Students are in the background talking.

The report comes months after the Brearley School and the Spence School, two of New York's most elite and academically rigorous all-girls K-12 prep schools, revised their admissions policies to accommodate transgender students. At Brearley, trans students who come out during their schooling are more than welcome to continue their education there, even if they no longer identify as women.

"Recognizing that the developmental and educational needs of each individual may change over time, the School will continue to partner with the child and family throughout the student’s education at Brearley… to determine if a girls’ school environment will continue to provide the best educational experience," the policy reads.

Similar changes at single-gender colleges around the country have also occurred, with Spelman College, a historically black women's college in Atlanta, issuing a new admissions policy in September 2017 that welcomes trans women applicants alongside cisgender applicants.

Since 2014, at least eight other women's colleges and universities in the U.S. have made similar policy revisions.

Latest News