Description & Purpose

       This digital archive was created as the final product of a project conducted in Summer 2014 for an internship at the Bryn Mawr College Pensby Center, the college office for inclusion and diversity.

        Bryn Mawr has always been an institution that provides opportunities to students who are marginalized because of gender.

       When the college was founded, this meant giving women the chance at an education that other institutions denied them. Bryn Mawr women have been encouraged to pursue their personal goals even if society at large did not consider them appropriate for women or doubted that they could succeed.

       This legacy continues at Bryn Mawr, but in today’s age we have also begun to recognize Mawrters with diverse gender identities. For some students, Bryn Mawr is a place where it’s okay to experiment with different gender roles and presentations and explore gender identity, away from the prejudice ever-present in the world outside the “Bryn Mawr bubble”.

       The purpose of this project is to explore the history of gender identity and expression at Bryn Mawr College, collect information and material evidence, and create a digital archive of this history.

       The materials in this archive demonstrate that Bryn Mawr College has always been a community of students within their own cultural bubble. Inside of this bubble, students have been and continue to be relatively insulated from outside societal pressures relating to gender expression. Bryn Mawr's community is home to conversations about gender that are not taking place elsewhere.

       This project aims to showcase the results of this bubble of uncommon attitudes about gender, the freedom that it has allowed students to explore their own identities, and how this freedom has shaped the lives of all Mawrters.

       Finally, this project hopes to point out areas in need of improvement that still exist. Even if Bryn Mawr is starting to recognize Mawrters with a variety of genders, the bubble is not necessarily a safe space for students of all gender identities. Bryn Mawr College needs to make an ongoing effort to change this- particularly when it comes to admitting trans women to the college.