Male students will be able to graduate from Cambridge University wearing skirts in the next academic year, following pressure from an LGBT+ campaign to change the centuries-old dress code.
The student union’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Other (LGBT+) group is “delighted” about the decision and applauded the help they received from the university.
Official university rules previously said male students should wear a dark suit and female students must wear a black dress or skirt for graduation. Students dressed incorrectly could be refused graduation.
Now the requirement will be replaced with a gender-neutral description.
Charlie Bell, president of LGBT+ and a medicine graduate, says, “The speed with which this went through the university and the help we’ve received shows this was clearly an oversight.
“I’m delighted it’s changed, and I’m delighted to be part of a university which sees the importance of these issues and acts.”
Last year, rules at Oxford University were rewritten to allow male students to wear skirts to exams and formal occasions. After a campaign by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer Society, the university’s council removed all references to men and women from the clothing rules.
