Not sure if Morehouse has noticed, but there have been successful men (both black and white) who have cross-dressed in their lives. Morehouse College has failed to learn its lessons about the true understanding of manhood -- what it means to be a man. The brutality of the shower attack had as much to do with homophobia as with the reinforcement of a false manhood and insecurity. Masculinity is not what defines a man. The days of gender normativity are over, especially when it comes to one’s self-expression among young adults.

What is a “Morehouse Man” -- heterosexual, masculine, straight-acting? Would 15-year-old Lawrence King be admitted to Morehouse College? The young boy wore mascara, lipstick, jewelry, and his favorite pair of high-heeled boots to school many days. He was shot and killed by a 14-year-old classmate in an antigay hate crime.

All men would be better off if they had to wear a dress or walk a day in someone else’s pumps. Morehouse College requires systemic change to live up to the ideals it was founded on. Every student, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression, deserves a learning environment that is safe and welcoming.