Oxford University Amends Dress Code for Transgender Students

England's Oxford University has decided to change its strict academic dress code to accommodate transgender students -- meaning that males will be allowed to attend classes wearing skirts and women can wear a suit and tie, the Christian Post reports. "The regulations have been amended to remove any reference to gender, in response to concerns raised by Oxford University Student Union that the existing regulations did not serve the interests of transgender students," the university said. Jess Pumphrey, executive officer of Oxford's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer Society (LGBTQ Soc), added, "In [the] future, there will be no need for transgender students to cross-dress to avoid being confronted by invigilators or disciplined during their exam." Oxford's old dress code required male students to wear a dark suit and socks, black shoes, white bow tie and a plain white shirt and collar under black gowns, while women were restricted to a dark skirt or trousers, a white blouse, black stockings and shoes, and a black ribbon tied in a bow at the neck. The new rule goes into effect as early as this week.