D9 stereotyping..
 

Hey sorors, I just had to tell yall this. I ran into an old friend of mine that I have not seen in like 8 years. Anyway, I was wearing my SGRHO jacket, after catching up on where we've been and what we've been up to, the conversatoin turned to my jacket and went like this:

him: You SGRHO
me: (beaming with all kinds of pride) Yes
him: Why you choose SGRHO? You look more like a Delta
me: :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
me: and what the heck does that supposed to mean? (mind you that I'm sounding/looking real po'd and my blood pressure starting to rise..)
him: Naw naw naw that's cool don't get me wrong but I thought SGRHO was for fat girls cuz most SGRHO's in XYZ state where I live are big
me: (still boiling) Yeah I know they are BRIGHT INTELLIGENT and OH SO GAWGEOUS
me: Watch yo tongue when it come to my SoRHOrs, watch yo tongue
him: Oh naw naw I didn't mean no disrespect..

Man if I was white my skin would've shown all kinds of red like the smilie.
and what the heck does a Delta look like? Better yet, what does a Zeta or AKA look like? My point is that all of us are beautiful. The School Daze stereotypes was just movie hype. From my experience, stereotypes for D9 sororities don't exist or am I missing something? If this is already a thread, kindly direct me to it because my search did not bring up any such results. Thanks.

I see this mostly with non-Greeks. I often hear people at work and other places say, "So you're the ones who..." I think most people like to fit everything in a neat little category for their own convenience. Now most D9 orgs have a very diverse membership so it is difficult to say we are all this religion, denomination, ethnicity, shade, body type, or have XYZ type of hair.

The various sterotypes are interesting. Let me guess. Are you brown-skinned, with short hair, and a studious (geeky) look? That's the sterotype I always heard about us - LOL.

Thank you sistergreek because for the life of me I could not figure out what the heck a Delta supposedly looks like. The funny thing is that he is not the only person who has said that I look like a Delta. You are right I am brown skinned, very studious looking and my hair is long but since I'm a napptural it looks short. Within the D9 the stereotypes do not exist because as someone stated we have all shades and sizes. News flash to me that obviously they do for nongreeks and now I'm wondering if the "stereotypes" affect people's decision on which org they pursue. And where the heck did the SGRHO's are for plus size come from? Don't get me wrong sisters there is Nothing wrong with a Pretty Honorable Admirable Tenacious woman.

Thanks for that I am a Plus size woman. And quite stunning. the stereotypes I heard was that Zetas are plus size and unattractive.(not true) I have never heard that about SGRHOs When I was a nongreek most of the stereotypes were circulated by nongreeks.

It's sad, but I agree. Do you think some of the stereotypes are perpetuated by some of the chants that D9 orgs do that kind of put down the other D9 orgs? Or maybe the step shows where some frats clown others?

Sadly these stereotypes are out and running rampant. I got into a discussion with one of my friends in which she told me, "You can't be ABC because you don't look like ABC's even though you act like them. You have the brains of a XYZ but you look like EFG."

I just looked at her like what in the world? She said she was gonna be an ABC cause that's what everyone told her she looked like.

Somewhat, but step shows from a non-greek person's perspective step shows are entertainment. They have to know not to take it all to heart.

Chants probably aid the stereotypes but they play up positive attributes of the organizations: Pretty, suave, intelligent, beautiful, illustrious, etc.

This post is EXTREMELY interesting to me...because I actually have heard those same comments from my own fratand regular people in the streets! Everyone always says I look like an AKA because I'm light skinned with long hair and light eyes. The main stereotype for Z-Phi-B is that we are big, black, and burrly looking...whatever that means. I have friends in all of the D9 organizations and not one of them has the exact same make up as their frat/soror. I think that the stereotyping came in when the organizations first began ~ if you look at the pictures of each organization, most of the members displayed similar resemblance...

Your right the stereotypes are out there. I went to buy a jacket from one of the stores that sells greek nalia here. All they had were XL and XXL jackets. So i asked the guy why he didn't have any mediums or smalls. He said i stopped ordering them because they told me all the Sgrho's were fat. I was so hot! But when people ask me if I am in a sorority and I say Sgrho, they say you don't look like one. That burns me up! Every sorority and Fratenity comes in all shapes, colors and sizes. I'm not sure if they are gettingthe stereotyes from chants or what, all I know is it really ticks me off sometimes. Other times I just laugh and say well I guess I blew that stereotype. Either way people can be are ignorant.

When I told a friend of mine that I was interested in AKA, he told me that he thought that I wouldn't fit with my sorority because of all of the usual stereotypes about us. He really has internalized all of the stereotypes about the different organizations. Funny thing is that he wanted to pledge at one time, so you would think that he would know better. However, I guess the fact that he has since lost interest demonstrates the depth of his desire and perhaps his understanding of our organizations.

sterotyping
 

Stereotyping does still exist. I have been a member of Sigma Gamma Rho for 2 weeks and three days. A friend of my sent me an email to congratulate me. About half way through the she begin to ask me why did choose sgrho. She began to tell Sgrhos on her campus are hoes, ugly, and confrontational. and That sgrho was a very small org. and that i would meet all my sorhors at one regional. She preceded to tell me that I wasn't like that and that Aka would have been better for me. Because I was pretty, smart, and friendly.. and that i should have followed the path my sister and she had went down. I told her that i chose the best sorority for me the last created the best designed, the sorority that has best gpa nationwide... and that quality is better than quantity... I asked her did she know the sgrhos on her campus personally she said no.. I told to keep my sorhors out her mouth.

This is exactly what I was talking about. Who the heck is the "they" in the "they told me SgRho's are all fat" statement? Why in the world would a D9 member be making statements like "you don't look like a SGRho, Delta, AKA, Zeta etc.," unless we believe the stereotypes ourselves :(

You know this is so funny because just YESTERDAY and "friend" of mine was commenting on one of our sorhors and was like "yes, she fits cause she's chubby, SGRhos are known as the chubby ones". I just laughed because I had never heard that before. Quickly dismissed

Thank you!

I'm glad you told her Soror!

I'm pretty, smart, AND confrontational. I wonder what that makes me. :(

Honestly, I am told by mostly stupid men (who mainly perpetuate this nonsense stereotyping) that I fit the stereotype of AKA.

The only comments I hear from women -- and other greek women in my local NPHC chapter at that -- is that we are so small we all know each other. My pet peeve is other greek women in my area (DC/Baltimore) who are surprised that we have so many graduate chapters in this area. I even had one neo Zeta ask me if I was able to "find a chapter"? Whatever? :rolleyes:

My response: For the record, there are 6 graduate chapters in the DC area alone, not including the Baltimore area chapters. This is a greater metropolitan area with a large black population, what did you expect?

This is funny...because as a "pleasingly plump" AKA I normally see the reverse of this.

First of all Congratulations SoRHOr!! Secondly, she said what!:eek:
I would have been too mad :mad: to respond at first because I would have been trying to cyberslam her on the concrete. She had the audacity to open her mouth like that about my SoRHOrs... I am glad you let her know to keep her mouth OFF SGRHO's. This is yet another example of a sistergreek ( so sad :() perpetuating the stereotypes. One thing that I learned coming into this great sisterhood is that class goes a longgggggg way and class DOES NOT include down talking your sister/brother greeks. SGRHO's keep it tight, classy and sexy, that's why SGRHO is the only RHOad.

devil's advocate...
 

okay, i am probably going to be taking the less popular approach to this topic, but i go forth nonetheless:

i, like many soRHOrs, have had people tell me that i just COULDN'T be an SGRho because Sigma Gamma Rho sorors are either really big or really skinny or really nerdy or sloppy or whatever... or they will talk about how Sigma Gamma Rho is mostly older ladies...there have even been times when individuals have made the comment that i'm the "best looking" SGRho they have met...
i don't buy into the hype of stereotypes because one size definitely does not fit all. Wearing certain letters and colors doesn't make you pretty, smart, or ladylike and wearing others don't mean you are a reject or the size of a polar bear...

HOWEVER, i think we have to acknowledge that stereotypes do come from somewhere...whether or not they hold true is another issue. keep it real, y'all. look at some of these photogalleries--and i mean this for ALL of us orgs.--and you'll see some stereotypes "appear".

i hear that soror - NYC has 3 grad chapters, with another nearby in Westchester and in LI. dont tell me about some "finding a chapter" cause we got this!

i've gotten that too! i mean i cute and all, but i aint no model chick either! so dudes, greek and non-greek, really get me when theyre like "damn you are a fine SGRho, do you got other sorors who look like you?"

another greek dude said to me "man yall are like the AKA chapter of SGRho cause some other chapters - dayum!"

but word, i feel like ive perpetuated some stereotypes (physically and mentally, within my org and other orgs) and i shouldnt. bad soror, bad. (slaps myself on the hand)

I agree soror.

Hi Sorors and Sistergreeks!

I hear what everyone is saying but I think it depends on where you are. I'm in Philly and in the Northeast (which includes chapters in PA., New Jersey, New York, Delaware, etc.) we rarely hear negative stereotypes about ourselves although I have heard some about sorors in other areas and when I do hear something, I shut the person down real quick because I don't let anyone talk bad about my sorority...I don't care where you're from. As for being small, we may be smaller than the other 3 but we're definately not small by any means. Up here anyway, we are on every campus where there are NPHC orgs and some where we are the only one there (and PA. alone has a whole lot of colleges and universities, probably more than any other state).

I think the stereotyping goes on because non-greeks and greeks alike only go by what they see on their campus or in one geographical area, but I think that's really messed up to label an entire organization (which spans throughout the U.S. and beyond) based on what you've personally seen or heard. Then you have those non-greeks who haven't even met any SGRho's, passing along rumors they personally know nothing about.

I was speaking with a soror yesterday about this very subject and she said that she finds that we get hated on most by the other sororities. About 2 years ago on her campus XYZ she was sayin that the other sororities (namely 2 of them) was trash talkin SGRHO and they did not even know them but was trash talking them. In one instance, we had an informational and one of the girls at the informational was legacy to another sorority but wanted SGRHO to call home. The (now) soror told SGRHO how she asked XYZ sorority what makes them different from us and the responses were trash talking. To trash talk someone else's organization only shows your insecurity about your own organization imo. D9 sororities are a majority of women of color united for one cause and that is to uplift and improve the conditions of our communities. How can we do that if we are tearing each other down? I believe that we need to look up the definition of class and check ourselves to be sure that we are living up to it. JMO.

^^^ There are many of us in the D9 that share your opinion.

But don't get it twisted. We get hated on by frats, too. Of course, it's usually a case of a Sassy Sigma breaking his heart and trying to direct his hurt at all Sigmas, not just the one that hurt him. :(

For instance, a popular DJ in Atlanta has always hated on us. ALWAYS. He plugged having the other three sororities in the step show he sponsored, but Sigma was not mentioned. Funny that he didn't there were only us and two Delta teams stepping, and he knew we were in the show at least 10 days before the show. :( It's really sad when men hate on sororities. It really makes a guy look...pathetic.

And ditto what others have said about each sorority having gorgeous and not so gorgeous members. There is no mold, no matter what anyone wants to perpetuate.

Soror, you ain't neva lied. And its look sooooo childish to me for a frat to stoop to the level of hatin on a sorority..how ridiculous? I mean are we dealing with men or little girls?

I hear what you're sayin' but I've met far more sorors and seen far more websites and pictures of sorors who do not fit the so called negative stereotypes at all...and this goes for all of the NPHC orgs. So while stereotypes do come from somewhere, they're just not fair to use...especially if they are negative.

I look like a Soror

I walk like a Soror

I talk like a Soror

I can achieve anything like a Soror

I work hard like Soror

Therefore I must be a Soror

I'll never understand this. What is the point of talking negatively about someone's organization AFTER they've already joined? Obviously they found something in their organization that they liked and you telling them that their organization is "bad" will not change anything. Here is where I have to question the friendship or the motive of the person who's doing the trash talking whether it's a family member or not. If this person is just an acquaintance then chances are the person just likes to be negative (especially regarding things they don't understand or know too much about) and if this person is supposed to be a "friend," this is where I would have to question the person's friendship. How can this person be a true friend? Even if they don't particularly care for your organization, they should just suck it up and be happy for you because you're happy...isn't that what really matters anyway...that you're happy? What do they think you'll do?...denounce your organization because THEY say it's not right for you? I'll never understand this one.

The sad thing is, I really believe that he did not mean any harm with his question because he really believed that SGRHO is just for fuller figured girls, according to him that's all he has seen in his state. I'll let him slide because of his ignorance but my problem is more with members of the D9 who feed these stereotypes by trash talking another org when they know good got dawg well (:)) that them stereotypes are nothing more than an urban legend.

Its hard being a full figured woman especially when you are a member of a d9. Its also very difficult to hear my sorors get angry when someone makes a comment about SGRHO being for big women. I know most people think that being fat means you are unattractive so that is why everyone is up in arms about the so called sterotypes. What I would like to hear is instead of my smaller sorors taking these comments as a insult, say So what I have some full-figured sorors but we are all beautiful.

Lets not let these comments divide us into "the attractive SGRHOS" and "the unattractive SGRHOS" We all LOOK GOOD trust me :)

Well said soror. And let's not forget that there are full figured women in ALL the D9 sororities and in the African American community in general. However these ladies are dealing with their weight...whether they are proud to be big and beautiful or whether they are trying to reduce their size, remember that the PERSON is inside and that person should be respected and never made fun of by anyone. Defend your sorors...don't let ANYONE say bad things about them! I don't care if the whole damn chapter has full figured women!!! Don't let the physical superficiality of many men (and women) be an imposition to the whole sorority...and this goes for all D9 organizations.

Soror I understand what you are saying, but my anger is focused more on the comments that are saying that some of us look like an AKA or a Delta rather than a SGRHO, in other words they are saying that AKA and Delta look better than SGRHOs and that is what I take to be an offense. My point was that we are all shapes and sizes and we are all beautiful no matter the org. SGRHOs or Deltas/AKA/Zeta for that matter are all not to be boxed in to some stereotype of what others feel we should look like. By no means am I saying that our full figured sorors are not as attractive as smaller sorors. I hope I did not come off that way and if I did then please excuse me Soror. ;)

GREAT POST!!!!!! :)

does anyone here feel it may be just a "female in a sorority" issue as well, and not just D9?

we just had two recent grads join our staff. they are both in sororities, very attractive girls, well spoken and educated...but the first thing i heard about both of them was "hey, that new girl so-and-so is a sorority girl". i think with the release of the girls gone wild videos, non-black females in GLO's are stereotyped as well... all the guys started making out of the way comments, and i felt it was wrong to assume they were a certain way just because of being in a sorority...

whats interesting, and maybe this is only because i associate with more black people, is the fact that the caucasian stereotypes usually involve drinking/partying/taking tops off, etc. the D9 stereotypes i hear about are mostly looks/personality/intelligence. it is a shame that the D9 stereotypes are not things that can be "outgrown", but personality and physical traits...