A Victory for Sororities: Education Department Rules Sororities Are for Women Only

[jolene]

Originally Posted by Phrozen Sands

Oh trust me, I do me just fine. I just don’t do 70 year old Claus with a C-cup. But hey, you do your weird ass far away from me.

Er, what? What on earth are you talking about? That's doesn't make sense.

It's not weird to want female only spaces.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by Phrozen Sands

LMAO! CG agreed with dude, then lit him up with added history of her own Zach either left out on purpose or forgot about, then snatched her history back from dude, reclaiming it as hers, all in one post LOL!

What’s Lavantine mean?

Omg! I was actually agreeing with him! I swear, you are such an instigator, lol. I was just adding that it’s more accurate to say Afro-Mediterranean influence than to pretend it was like an African to Greek pipeline with no Levantine link.

So, Levantine just means they were from the Levant, which is the eastern Mediterranean coast, so like, modern Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. The Phoenicians weren’t African, which is what I was telling Zach, but their writing came out of trade with Egypt. So in basic geography: Levant. Influence: African. If that makes sense.

[Zach]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Ahem… So, first off, I’m first generation ethnic Greek here in the States. My mother’s side is directly from Greece, so my grandparents came over with her, settled in the Midwest, and built everything from scratch. She was old enough to bring all of our real tradition with her, so when people talk about Greek life, I always laugh a little because for me it’s not just letters, it’s literally my bloodline, our language, our faith, our food, and our family values that survived for thousands of years.

You’re right, Zach. Historically, the Greek alphabet didn’t start in like some vacuum. Like you said, it did evolve from Phoenician scripts, which were heavily influenced by Egyptian hieroglyphs. So technically, the letters sororities and fraternities wear today trace back through Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East before they ever showed up on a sorority or fraternity tee. That’s a fact, not just my family pride.

But for the record, I’ll mention what you didn’t, Zach. The Phoenicians weren’t African, they were Levantine, but their writing system was shaped by Egyptian scribes on African soil. That’s how culture works — trade, travel, mixing ideas for centuries. So if you trace your “proud” Greek letters all the way back, yes, you’re gonna hit the shores of the Nile. If you wanna call it Afro-Mediterranean, that’s fine. But it still goes through us — my real, ethnic Greek roots.

So like, this alphabet and all this cultural knowledge physically ran through MY family line. Ancient Greece didn’t just borrow Phoenician symbols, we built an entire language and identity from it.

So, my Greek family line literally carried that alphabet forward. Just sayin..

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

Omg! I was actually agreeing with him! I swear, you are such an instigator, lol. I was just adding that it’s more accurate to say Afro-Mediterranean influence than to pretend it was like an African to Greek pipeline with no Levantine link.

So, Levantine just means they were from the Levant, which is the eastern Mediterranean coast, so like, modern Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. The Phoenicians weren’t African, which is what I was telling Zach, but their writing came out of trade with Egypt. So in basic geography: Levant. Influence: African. If that makes sense.

Yeah, the Levantine piece is the nuance that gets lost when people oversimplify how the Greek alphabet evolved. You’re right tho.

[*winter*]

Originally Posted by Zach

On a separate post, since some folks over here are fascinated with genealogy, here’s a free history snack. If you trace your line back far enough, you’re going to hit Africa whether you like it or not. That’s not an opinion, that’s just genetics. Modern humans originated in Africa, migrated out, and spread around the globe. So that proud Viking DNA you’re bragging about? Congratulations, your distant cousin is probably rocking braids on the Serengeti 60,000 years ago.

So when people act like their way is the “norm” and ours is the “other”, it’s kind of funny. Culturally, biologically, and historically, we’re all more connected than half y’all want to admit. You don’t have to like it but it’s the truth. Technically, everybody came from us. We are the standard, the traditional, and the original. So as far as the Greek system is concerned, first on paper means nothing when the real first people are your ancestors too. The same “originals” you excluded from your organizations are the reason you exist, biologically AND culturally. Just spitting facts.

We are The Divine Nine. You came from us.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Well said.

[Phrozen Sands]

Originally Posted by jolene

You do you!

What’s this mean then?

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by honeychile

I can't speak for every chapter, but mine in PA is very much into veterans' affairs, helping the less fortunate, and patriotic endeavors. The chapter I checked out here seemed to be very much into ladies' teas, lunches, and parties. I suppose there's a sorority-like aspect to it, but IMHO, patriotism should come first.

It's funny you mentioned the DAR. I haven't signed into GC in almost five years. I popped on after the Camp Mystic story broke to confirm it was the same place I used to read about here.

My daughter and I signed our DAR application papers tonight. The chapter we're joining just formed in November after some members opted to begin another chapter further north in our county away from the city-based chapter. The new chapter just happens to be in the small town where I live so it was perfect timing in every way. It's very focused on local service projects, serving veterans, helping military members, etc. Friendly down-to-earth women. I think you would like this chapter just based on what you said here.

Anyway, it was funny to see DAR mentioned on GC. Timing!

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Just as before, if there is a chapter who wants to admit a transgender woman, or a fraternity chapter that wants to admit a transgender man, they will find a way to do so.

Absolutely.

I remember back when I was advising my chapter, this exact issue came up as we had some trans kids going through recruitment. Our guys weren't really concerned about anything other than whether those individuals were of high enough character to belong.

--it was a proud moment.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Absolutely.

I remember back when I was advising my chapter, this exact issue came up as we had some trans kids going through recruitment. Our guys weren't really concerned about anything other than whether those individuals were of high enough character to belong.

--it was a proud moment.

It is basically a question as to which Nationals are willing to pull a charter over a chapter admitting someone who is trans of the gender of the GLO. Some are, some aren't.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by naraht

It is basically a question as to which Nationals are willing to pull a charter over a chapter admitting someone who is trans of the gender of the GLO. Some are, some aren't.

The hq really doesn't have to know.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by 33girl

The hq really doesn't have to know.

And... we're back to the 1960s, where national fraternities went looking through the yearbook photos of their chapters...

[Cheerio]

Originally Posted by naraht

And... we're back to the 1960s, where national fraternities went looking through the yearbook photos of their chapters...

Not trying to be funny, but what does this mean?

I also recall that some universities omitted yearbooks during the 60s and 70s due to lack of student interest.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

Not trying to be funny, but what does this mean?

I also recall that some universities omitted yearbooks during the 60s and 70s due to lack of student interest.

As I understood it, at least once a National NIC Fraternity found out that one of their chapters had admitted a non-white from yearbook photos. I do not remember if Asian or African-American.

And as for the omitted yearbooks, that was after most of the GLOs had removed the racial restrictions. Doing my wikipedia research, I tend to look through a lot of yearbooks. Having a page (or half-page) per GLO *tended* to exist through the mid-1960s and came back in the late 1970s. In the intervening period, at some schools they because *very* chaotic and getting any information on student groups on campus based on them is very difficult.