Do you....

[sugar and spice]

Originally posted by Nhfulmer
All of this is idealistic. When voting on new members, each chapter has to be careful not to admit anyone who can harm the chapter. If the members feel that a PNM would harm the chapter's reputation, they have an obligation to their chapter not to offer a bid. I have no problem with an individual's sexual orientation but I DO have a problem with not considering what is best for the entire group. Remember - there is a vote and, as I said before, no one person is guaranteed a right to membership. Our entire premise is based on our right to choose our members.

. . . . within reason. And in many groups, sexual orientation is not a valid reason to deny membership.

There is a difference in "harming the chapter" and "harming the chapter's reputation." A lesbian member might harm the reputation, but chances are that she's not going to harm the chapter itself.

Now to an extent I agree with you. On some campuses a lesbian pledge could hurt numbers to the point where it could cause your chapter to close, and in that case you have to weigh which is more worth it: your principles or your sorority. On other campuses it would not be such a big deal, and that's great.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure this is something that will ever change. I mean, take the race issue. Fifty years after the first non-white women was initiated into an NPC sorority, at many schools the NPC sororities are still very, very white. Many people of color don't rush because they think they won't feel comfortable, because they've heard stories like those we just discussed at UGA or Bama. And so because some PNMs of color aren't welcomed or made to feel comfortable, many more don't bother rushing at all. I think sexual orientation will be the same issue for many, many years to come.