Materials available for diversity?

[GammaZeta]

In our ever changing society, our brotherhood "should" become more diverse with it.

Growing up in Massachusetts, being the progressive and forward thinking state that we are, I was taught to embrace and respect people different from myself. We all have something to contribute regardless of age, sex, race, gender, sexuality, color or religion and that we are all equals.

College campuses are also changing in their makeup.

What steps are being taken to better inform our chapters of how to handle diversity? Do we have any specific materials or literature? I remember the VOLUMES of books and papers that we had from HQ but never could remember one embracing diversity.

For example, if a brother or pledge came out of the closet and stated he was homosexual. Many people in the chapter may be hesitant or not sure how to act in that situation because they may not have been exposed to people of different sexualities before. Ideally, we should treat him like anyone else, but that may not be the case across other chapters.

So, does HQ offer any type of materials or training in such situations?

Is there any programs offered to help a chapter embrace someone different from the majority of brothers?

[Tom Earp]

Originally Posted by GammaZeta

In our ever changing society, our brotherhood "should" become more diverse with it.

Growing up in Massachusetts, being the progressive and forward thinking state that we are, I was taught to embrace and respect people different from myself. We all have something to contribute regardless of age, sex, race, gender, sexuality, color or religion and that we are all equals.

College campuses are also changing in their makeup.

What steps are being taken to better inform our chapters of how to handle diversity? Do we have any specific materials or literature? I remember the VOLUMES of books and papers that we had from HQ but never could remember one embracing diversity.

For example, if a brother or pledge came out of the closet and stated he was homosexual. Many people in the chapter may be hesitant or not sure how to act in that situation because they may not have been exposed to people of different sexualities before. Ideally, we should treat him like anyone else, but that may not be the case across other chapters.

So, does HQ offer any type of materials or training in such situations?

Is there any programs offered to help a chapter embrace someone different from the majority of brothers?

You have valid questions! Tread lightly!

But, this seems to be a reiteration of a previous post!

[GammaZeta]

Well, I guess this is an off-shoot of another thread.

Again, this is just out of curiosity.

I guess, more in general, does HQ offer other materials, programs or literature other than the regular risk management, ritual stuff?

Let's broaden it a bit. What about dealing with death in a chapter? What about becoming disabled or making a chapter house more disabled friendly?

To what extent does HQ help with the non-risk management, ritual, money aspects of daily chapter life?

[GammaZeta]

"If a brother comes out of the closet, you treat him as a brother. To do anything different would be to forsake the values of our fraternity. "Every Man a Man," for God's sake."

Sorry Ottor, I forgot that we live in a perfect world where everyone is color blind and accepts everyone for who they are. My bad. I'm also sorry for forcing you to read my posts.

Also sorry for questioning anything. We should all be so fortunate to follow blindly without questioning where we are going, who we are or where we were.

[Ottor 246]

Since you said you're sorry, I forgive you. Just don't let it happen again.

[GammaZeta]

[Ottor 246]

If you believe you need help relating to people of other cultures or backgrounds, you should seek professional help. Not from IHQ, but from a counselor or psychologist. The rest of us are doing fine. The way to relate to people is one person at a time. Sure, brothers of different racial or ethnic backgrounds have had different experiences in getting to where they are. That's what maks us unique. It's what makes the world interesting. Get to know people as people, and not as part of a racial stereotype.

If a brother comes out of the closet, you treat him as a brother. To do anything different would be to forsake the values of our fraternity. "Every Man a Man," for God's sake.

So stop preaching to us about everything we're doing wrong. Get help with your problem and stop trying to project it onto the rest of us.