UK: Cambridge removes gender-based dress code for graduating students

President of university’s LGBT group says change is ‘sensible’ and ‘well overdue’

The University of Cambridge has revised its dress code for graduation ceremonies, the change meaning that men won’t be required to wear trouser suits, while women won’t have to wear skirts, dresses or suits, Pink News reports.

An Aug 9 piece on The Student Journals notes that the change, which comes into effect for the 2013/14 academic year, will allow graduating students to “dress in a manner befitting their personal identity, rather than an outdated system where attire is dictated to them in a way that reinforces a culture of gender binaries.”

The new guidelines have yet to be published online.

Charlie Bell, president of the Cambridge University Student’s Union LGBT+, says the change was readily embraced.

“The ease with which we were able to pass this through council shows how sensible the university is, and how much on the side of students the administration is. This is clearly a sensible decision and one which is well overdue.”

Still, Bells says, more needs to be done.

Sarah Gibson, a trans representative for LGBT+, agrees.

“Much more is needed throughout the university to support and include transgender students. The vast majority of staff lack all but the most basic knowledge about trans people.”

Natasha Barsotti is originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. She had high aspirations of representing her country in Olympic Games sprint events, but after a while the firing of the starting gun proved too much for her nerves. So she went off to university instead. Her first professional love has always been journalism. After pursuing a Master of Journalism at UBC , she began freelancing at Xtra West — now Xtra Vancouver — in 2006, becoming a full-time reporter there in 2008.

Keep Reading

The new generation of gay Conservative sellouts

OPINION: Melissa Lantsman’s and Eric Duncan’s refusals to call out their party’s transphobia is a betrayal of the LGBTQ2S+ community

Over 300 anti-LGBTQ2S+ bills have been introduced this year. This doesn’t mean we should panic

OPINION: While it’s important to watch out for threats, not all threats are created equally. Some of these bills will die a natural death

Xtra’s top LGBTQ2S+ stories of the year

The best and brightest—even most bewildering—stories from a back catalogue brimming with insight

Elon Musk and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton are suing Media Matters. Here’s why queer and trans people should care

OPINION: When politicians and the rich leverage the power of the state to quell dissent, we all lose