Sex Change and Membership

[preciousjeni]

Wow GC! I have had an ongoing conversation about transgender/transsexual membership within my own sorority. I keep hitting a wall when I try to figure out how one legally changes gender. Does anyone know if you can change your gender on legal documents? I know it's possible to change the gender listed on your SS# file if your birth certificate shows the other sex.

I think that's the biggest issue at this point for me. Personally, if a woman who identified as male and who wanted to be referred to as "he/him" had Theta Nu Xi in his heart and wanted to spend a lifetime supporting our mission and tenets, I would accept the interest. However, I can't imagine that sorority membership would appeal to a female-born male.

The more understandable situation would be a male-born female. And, here's where the situation gets sticky. If a person cannot LEGALLY change his or her gender, extending membership would threaten Title IX exemption. I've considered the option of going co-ed as this would be the most logical move to be as inclusive as possible, but that was not the vision of my founders so I do not support it.