Turning Point USA was recently informed by a student at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor that a trans-identifying female (biologically male) has been staying at a historically all-female dormitory, causing distress for female residents in the building.
The concerned student, who prefers to remain anonymous, is a resident of the dormitory known as Martha Cook Building. She explained the dorm’s significance as an exclusively female residence at the University of Michigan.
“The Martha Cook Building is an all-female, restricted access dorm at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor founded in 1915,” she told Turning Point USA. “The building is controlled-access, only accessible by the staff, campus security, and residents. It was built specifically to house young women who wished to live-in secure, all-female, non-mixed gender housing while attending Umich. Today, many residents choose to live there for these safety features, including women of many different races, religions, and nationalities.”
She then explained how this custom was broken as the university reportedly allowed a trans-identifying female to move into the Martha Cook Building, unannounced to any of the residents.
“In Fall semester 2025, the Martha Cook building’s long-standing tradition of all-female housing was broken when a trans student, a biological male, was allowed to move into the dorm. The incoming and returning residents were not notified by the school or the dormitory’s board of directors about this decision, nor were they notified that the dorm would now be accepting students based on their proclaimed gender identity instead of biological sex.”
The transgender student has done nothing to appear femininely, with few exceptions, the concerned student told TPUSA. The repercussions from living with a biological male could be drastic for her and fellow female students, she also noted.
“The trans student makes no attempt to appear as a female except for occasionally wearing a long skirt around campus,” she said. “There are concerns about this student being allowed to use the women’s bathrooms/shower rooms, although they have not been spotted inside the facilities as of this date. Some residents feel that this sets a bad precedent for future classes, and is a violation of the safety and privacy of the women that live there. If this is allowed to continue in future, it could provide ample opportunities for predators to gain entrance and make the women of the Martha Cook Building vulnerable to sexual harassment and sexual assault.”
Other Martha Cook Building residents concerned with the situation–choosing likewise to remain anonymous–commented on their discomfort with the transgender student’s presence in their dorm. One student said she feels unsafe within the dorm, and cautious while conducting daily routines.
“I already don’t feel safe here, whether it’s day or night,” she said. “When I go to use the restroom or the showers, I always carry pepper spray, my phone, and a personal alarm with me. Now I pay extra attention to making sure my doors are always locked too.”
Another resident, expressing sympathy for the student’s mental health, maintains nonetheless that his residency at Martha Cook should be disallowed by the university.
“While I have sympathy for this person and the mental illness they are struggling with, that doesn’t mean they should be allowed to live in an all-female dorm. The safety and privacy of all of the women at Martha Cook should not be sacrificed for the desires of one trans student,” the resident said.
According to its website, the Martha Cook Building is described as an “all-women hall is home to 140 [first-year through graduate] students.”
Turning Point USA reached out to the University of Michigan Ann-Arbor’s Housing Department for comment.
