Has someone of the opposite sex ever tried to pledge to your chapter?

[VandalSquirrel]

I think at the point most people have the money and time, and have completely gone through everything (physically in regards to surgery and hormones, and legally regarding name changes), they'd be a bit old for most traditional systems where the students are 18-22. I know of only one, a 16 year old German named Kim Petras, but that's Germany where the whole health care system is different, and in the US there are many issues surrounding the health insurance, employment, housing, and other economic factors of those who are transgendered. I'd guess that many young people in the USA and Canada who are transgendered are not going to have the resources for surgery at a young age, and many have bigger concerns than joining GLOs.

Second to all that I am sure it comes down to membership selection which is private and there may be groups who have a clause about being "a natural born" man or woman and don't advertise that statement. There are all kinds of reasons people aren't chosen for membership that have nothing to do with being transgendered and most of that is never discussed outside of the membership so I doubt gender identity would. I know the state I live in does not legally change birth certificates so

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by VandalSquirrel

I think at the point most people have the money and time, and have completely gone through everything (physically in regards to surgery and hormones, and legally regarding name changes), they'd be a bit old for most traditional systems where the students are 18-22. I know of only one, a 16 year old German named Kim Petras, but that's Germany where the whole health care system is different, and in the US there are many issues surrounding the health insurance, employment, housing, and other economic factors of those who are transgendered. I'd guess that many young people in the USA and Canada who are transgendered are not going to have the resources for surgery at a young age, and many have bigger concerns than joining GLOs.

Good point.

Hypothetical question... what if you showed up to your organization's convention, and there was someone in the crowd that stuck out like a sore thumb. A male, wearing your letters. Upon investigation, you find out that he was once a female, and had joined your organization 20 years earlier, as a female. How would you feel?

(And guys, same question to you if you knew a female had gained membership in college as a male)

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

Good point.

Hypothetical question... what if you showed up to your organization's convention, and there was someone in the crowd that stuck out like a sore thumb. A male, wearing your letters. Upon investigation, you find out that he was once a female, and had joined your organization 20 years earlier, as a female. How would you feel?

(And guys, same question to you if you knew a female had gained membership in college as a male)

This is one of those situations I'm not sure about. Legally speaking (and strictly legally, not emotionally or traditionally), is someone who is transsexual LEGALLY their original sex?

How I would feel about it would depend on whether she had "beaten" the system or not. If she is still legally a man, and my frat's bylaws say that we're open to men, then dammit, I will just have to treat her the same as I would every other brother.

But if she was breaking a rule, I feel like I would point and laugh at the tranny.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

But if she was breaking a rule, I feel like I would point and laugh at the tranny.

LOL! In response to your comment, though, people can get their birth certificates amended. It's a long and difficult process, but it's possible. Then, it's a fight from that point on. You have to get your social security information, driver's license information and other legal information/documents changed to match. And, even then, some states will discriminate.

I'm not a lawyer, but I imagine a person could get his/her birth certificate changed, join a GLO and the GLO would be able to defend itself based on the birth certificate if a legal issue ever arose.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

I was hoping YOU would comment! Thanks for the information. So, does that mean these organizations aren't considered traditional "social" organizations?

If you mean are they "social" within the meaning of Title IX, then yes they are social.

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

Weren't little sister/little brother organizations disbanded, in large part, because they threatened Title IX exemption? If you allow a person of the opposite sex into a single-sex organization, you will lose the exemption altogether.

No, I don't think they'd lose the exemption, although practically it might not matter anymore.

I've heard this before -- that little sister/brother organizations were basically banned because of Title IX concerns, but I'm not sure how true that is. I think risk management was a much larger concern. (My fraternity classifies the policy banning auxilliary groups as a risk management policy.) There may have been some concern that little sister/brother groups constituted some kind of de facto "co-edness," and that if someone wanted to sue they might have a foothold, but I think that's unrelated to Title IX.

Title IX forbids schools (primary, secondary or college) that receive federal funds (including student aid) from recognizing or sponsoring single-sex organizations. There is a specific exemption for the "membership practices . . . of a social fraternity or social sorority which is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of Title 26, the active membership of which consists primarily of students in attendance at an institution of higher education." (Other organizations, like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are also exempt.)

This exemption means that social fraternities and sororities are not required to be co-ed, that they do not have to choose between single-sex status and school recognition. Professional fraternities did face such a choice -- go co-ed or go away, basically.

But I don't see why a social fraternity cannot choose to be co-ed and still be a social fraternity.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

But I don't see why a social fraternity cannot choose to be co-ed and still be a social fraternity.

Gotcha.