Carly Burton

Deputy Director, MassEquality

Building a campus composed of students across the spectrum of womanhood provides another dimension of learning.

Gender identity may not be simple, but supporting those who identify as female and who wish to advance their academic careers among women, whether they were born to the sex or not, is.

As Gender Definitions Expand, So Do Some Women's Colleges' Admissions Policies

Carly Burton: "Understanding that womanhood is not static has inspired two women’s colleges to change their admissions criteria to consider anyone who identifies as a woman, regardless of their assigned sex at birth." Pictured: Audre Mowry, right, discusses preferred gender pronouns with other members of Mouthing Off!, a group for LGBT students at Mills College, the first women's college in the U.S. to accept students who were not born female but who identify as such. (Mathew Sumner/AP)