Five transgender graduates from Thammasat University will be allowed to wear women’s gowns during commencement exercises scheduled at the campus on August 30.
Office of the Higher Education Commission Deputy Secretary General Assoc Dr. Piniti Ratananukul, said Thursday that the five transgender students will be permitted to wear female graduation gowns as long as they meet the university’s dress code regulations (which apparently don’t disallow cross-dressing).
Dr. Piniti made clear, however, that the Thamssat ruling was not a precedent for other universities to follow. The education official stressed that transgender students from other universities should not demand the same privilege, as the decision was purely that of Thammasat University. He noted that the regulations on this matter vary from one institute to the other.
Thammasat ruled in favor of the transgender students saying that they have studied in the university as females and that it would be “mean” to force them to wear male uniforms during the graduation ceremony, the Nation reported.
