Sex Change and Membership

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Southron

I take an opposite attitude. In a traditionalist interpretation, the member has merely maimed himself. Despite the claims perhaps now allowed in the legal system, fraternities holding principles rooted in orthodox religious observance could simply ignore the surgery as a mutilation - no different than if the same effects were due an accident. The state can claim the physical change makes a different sex but a fraternity need not accept the alteration as a real change in sex identity.

BTW, some fraternities allow resignation from membership. Mine does not.

I'm sure all fraternities have means by which a member can be expelled. If a member ceases to meet the minimum requirements which a member must meet, PC or not, they're gone. For us, there are other automatic expulsion rules (like being convicted of a felony, failing to pay dues, etc.)

My interpretation is a literal one -- if one's gender is physically changed, that person, nor the state, nor anyone else views it as a genital mutilation. They view it as gender reassignment.

Far be it from me to tell your fraternity how to treat this situation. How would mine handle it? If you're not a man, you're not a member. Easy.

I don't think a largely conservative, old, traditional organization such as mine is going to wiggle around with shifting definitions of gender so that we can keep a person on the membership roster after gender reassignment. They'll just be out.

[ealymc]

Originally Posted by Kevin

I'm sure all fraternities have means by which a member can be expelled. If a member ceases to meet the minimum requirements which a member must meet, PC or not, they're gone. For us, there are other automatic expulsion rules (like being convicted of a felony, failing to pay dues, etc.)

My interpretation is a literal one -- if one's gender is physically changed, that person, nor the state, nor anyone else views it as a genital mutilation. They view it as gender reassignment.

Far be it from me to tell your fraternity how to treat this situation. How would mine handle it? If you're not a man, you're not a member. Easy.

I don't think a largely conservative, old, traditional organization such as mine is going to wiggle around with shifting definitions of gender so that we can keep a person on the membership roster after gender reassignment. They'll just be out.

Once you aren't an undergrad anymore, your ties to the Fraternity mostly revolve around continuing to support and advancing the goals of the organization. I highly doubt that Sigma Nu Nationals is going to turn away anyone's donorship or foundation support, and I SERIOUSLY doubt steps would be taken to retroactively withdraw membership from an initiated knight a decade or two down the road...

If you look at a list of initiated members throughout the life of a Fraternity, any fraternity in this case, you will see TONS of ambiguous names (i.e. Lindsay, Elisha, Ashley, Shannon, etc.) I honestly don't think the National body as a whole would be weeding through and leaning up the rosters

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by ealymc

Once you aren't an undergrad anymore, your ties to the Fraternity mostly revolve around continuing to support and advancing the goals of the organization. I highly doubt that Sigma Nu Nationals is going to turn away anyone's donorship or foundation support, and I SERIOUSLY doubt steps would be taken to retroactively withdraw membership from an initiated knight a decade or two down the road...

If you look at a list of initiated members throughout the life of a Fraternity, any fraternity in this case, you will see TONS of ambiguous names (i.e. Lindsay, Elisha, Ashley, Shannon, etc.) I honestly don't think the National body as a whole would be weeding through and leaning up the rosters

If it were brought to HQ's attention, however, I think it becomes a serious question. Part of our tax status/gender exclusivity is based upon the single-sex nature of our organization.

I can't go into the details, because I really don't know much about that sort of thing just yet.

I do think it'd be bad joo-joo as far as the IRS is concerned, however.

You're absolutely right though, no one is combing through membership rosters.

[ealymc]

Originally Posted by Kevin

I do think it'd be bad joo-joo as far as the IRS is concerned

Joo-joo?

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by ealymc

Joo-joo?

Don't you recognize serious serious tax law when you read it?