Sweetie, you have gotten a lot of "warm fuzzies" on this thread.
You have also received some information that has been heartfelt.
Many will disagree with what I'm going to say, but "OH WELL..."
EDITED TO ADD THIS IS THE SOUTH!
What is important to you?
Short term-consider the "attitude" of the Greek System as a whole, the campus and the general region. Example-there is RUMORED to be a black member of a high profile soro at LSU (...but she doesn't LOOK black
). This information is not put out there for all to know. WHY? You tell me? Could it be that some INDIVIDUAL members of fraternities and other sororities find this BIG NEWS? That's not a comfortable position to be in. Whether it's true or not, the very idea that this RUMOR exists is troubling. Personally, I wouldn't want to be the focus of this kind of attention. Diversity is great, but a full Greek life means you will come in contact EVERY DAY with people who may not be as open minded as your sisters. If the fraternities are diverse, then you know the Greeks as a whole are progressive thinkers.
Long term-Who KNOWS where you will end up north, south, east or west. Do you see being active in a GLO in your later years? Your "acceptance" in one region doesn't automatically translate into acceptance in another.
I wish it weren't so, but it is. I strongly recommend you look into all possibilities. It may be a breeze for you and I'm sure the experience, as many have pointed out from their personal knowledge, could be beautiful. Things ARE changing as you see from these responses, but Greek Chat is comprised of an exceptional group of people, many do not share the same level of love and respect for ALL mankind. Not everyone is a Tom Earp, sad to say... As so many have said, examine the reasons why you want to be in a GLO. Then, decide what level of involvement you may consider in the future. Who will you be involved with on a social level? In order for ANYTHING to change, people have to keep chipping away at the old dogmas.
When all is said and done, it really WILL be a mutual selection and if you find one (NPC, NPHC or other) that suits you, you will be happy. I hope I didn't offend anyone-my apologies if Idid.