Change.org has removed a petition protesting a Catholic women’s college’s decision to admit transgender students in 2024, saying it contained “hate speech.”
The petition had been launched by alumnae of Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, who opposed the liberal arts school’s plan.
“Elements of this petition were identified as hate speech and therefore the petition was removed. While we want our platform to be used to campaign about any issue our users care about, this must be done in a way that is safe and does not incite hate,” a Change.org spokesperson told The Washington Times.
Saint Mary’s College announced last week that it will consider admitting transgender students next year in a major change for the 179-year-old institution. The school’s board made the decision in June, according to a report last week in the student paper, The Observer.
College President Katie Conboy last Tuesday notified staff in an email of the decision.
“This confidence from our Board underscores their commitment that as an employer, Saint Mary’s must stand firm in its position as an inclusive community leader, and that as educators, we should continue to create an environment where all women belong and thrive,” read Ms. Conboy’s email, according to the school paper.
A spokesperson for the college did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Alumni are outraged. One woman — who asked to remain anonymous — said the school failed to notify alumni about its plans for five months despite sending monthly updates via email.
“There are several alumnae and students who are very upset. We don’t necessarily know each other, and we don’t really have any way to connect right now. Lots of [direct messages] to try to find some way to connect us together to figure out how to respond on a larger scale,” she said.
The Change.org petition called for protecting the school’s Catholic female identity and garnered more than 1,200 signatures.
“Students are worried about their positions in sports and or safety in spaces such as bathrooms or dorms. Students feel unheard and ignored,” the petition read. “Saint Marys needs to uphold strong Catholic values while still being courteous to all. Students, women, and alumnae must take a stand and protect what the Sisters of the Holy Cross created and fought for.”
As of Monday, the petition had been taken down. When the webpage for the petition is searched, a Change.org message reads: “This petition isn’t available. Either the URL is incorrect, it violated our Community Guidelines, or the starter removed it.”
A spokesperson for Change.org told The Times it was removed due to hate speech. The community standards for the nonprofit site identify hate speech as direct or indirect content attacking a class of people, including based on sexual orientation and sex.
Hate speech historically has been protected under the First Amendment in the courts.
Saint Mary’s, established by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, has less than 2,000 undergraduate students.
There are fewer than 40 women’s colleges in the U.S., down from 230 about 60 years ago, according to the Women’s College Coalition.
A report this year said most of the country’s female colleges have moved to admit transgender women. The wave of LGBTQ activism was sparked in 2013 after an Asian trans woman was denied admission initially to Smith College in Massachusetts, CNN reported in May.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.