Transgender women in sorority life?

[anna7363]

And I'll flounce, mainly cause I more or less agree with dr. Phill and 33girl. So I wouldn't be adding much new. Except I do feel the demand for surgery is a bit extreme. And the legal situation might change soon cause the American Medical Association just declared that transgender people should be able I change their legal gender on their birth certificate without surgery. So the whole title 9 thing will probably an irrelevant argument before to long

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by anna7363

And I'll flounce, mainly cause I more or less agree with dr. Phill and 33girl. So I wouldn't be adding much new. Except I do feel the demand for surgery is a bit extreme. And the legal situation might change soon cause the American Medical Association just declared that transgender people should be able I change their legal gender on their birth certificate without surgery. So the whole title 9 thing will probably an irrelevant argument before to long

I agree. I also think that many people who have commented don't know a lot about transgender life and have made pretty ignorant statements.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

I agree. I also think that many people who have commented don't know a lot about transgender life and have made pretty ignorant statements.

No, they don't know. That is the problem. Until the population at large understands the issue more fully, don't expect the NPC to be opening the doors. We are governed almost exclusively by old women. Yes, collegiate women vote, but it's the older women who set policy. Transgender interest is going to be fairly low so I don't see a huge push to change policies. For a while, I believe you will mainly see accepting chapters practicing a don't ask don't tell type of policy. What HQ doesn't know won't hurt them. The same occurred in the early days of lesbian members joining. If a chapter actually bothers to call and ask for permission, I suspect they will hit a brick wall.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by anna7363

And I'll flounce, mainly cause I more or less agree with dr. Phill and 33girl. So I wouldn't be adding much new. Except I do feel the demand for surgery is a bit extreme. And the legal situation might change soon cause the American Medical Association just declared that transgender people should be able I change their legal gender on their birth certificate without surgery. So the whole title 9 thing will probably an irrelevant argument before to long

You are contributing to the discussion. I agree with you. If a GLO wants to require/force/verify surgery then that GLO is in rough territory. I would much rather a GLO deny someone who says she or he is transgender than requiring/forcing/verifying surgery. Even checking the birth certification is objectifying and dehumanizing. Most GLOs don't check genitalia, biological sex and gender, surgical history, and birth certificates for applicants and members NOW and we should NEVER do that.

ETA: 33girl, thanks for the reminder. I can't believe I used that term and have edited my first post. For the GCers who are unfamiliar: http://www.isna.org/faq/hermaphrodite

[SoCalGirl]

I'm curious to the reverse scenario. A transgender male attempting to join a fraternity.

Also, to the point of what if they change after they're initiated members, I would think it'd be easier for a sorority member to transition to male and maintain her membership than a fraternity member to transition to female. Mainly because a woman has a lot more leeway, socially speaking, to not always present herself in a feminine manner than a man to present masculine.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

I'm curious to the reverse scenario. A transgender male attempting to join a fraternity.

Also, to the point of what if they change after they're initiated members, I would think it'd be easier for a sorority member to transition to male and maintain her membership than a fraternity member to transition to female. Mainly because a woman has a lot more leeway, socially speaking, to not always present herself in a feminine manner than a man to present masculine.

But he would no longer be a woman so there is no need for leeway. This isn't about the extreme subjectivity of socially created feminine and masculine behaviors. This is about whether someone identifies as a woman, man, both, or neither. Such is the complications that arose when humans insist on categories and, if we insist on categories, refuse to add categories.

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

But he would no longer be a woman so there is no need for leeway. This isn't about the extreme subjectivity of socially created feminine and masculine behaviors. This is about whether someone identifies as a woman, man, both, or neither. Such is the complications that arose when humans insist on categories and, if we insist on categories, refuse to add categories.

Bolding mine. This is what I'm reflecting on - and in much broader terms.

[WhiteRose1912]

Originally Posted by SoCalGirl

I'm curious to the reverse scenario. A transgender male attempting to join a fraternity.

We dealt with a situation like this when I was in undergrad. A wonderful young man wanted to join a particular fraternity. Almost all the members loved him and he was offered a bid. The one brother who didn't love him due to his transgender status called up his NHQ and let them know that the pledge was a transman, and they revoked his pledgeship. The man found a home in another fraternity on campus. I want to say that they cleared it with their NHQ first, but my memory is not 100% clear on that. Both groups were NIC.

[anna7363]

Yeah I can't help myself, I'm contributing lol. Btw, I think its probably already sort of a don't ask don't tell type things going on. Cause like I said earlier I would be incredibly surprised if there were not already trans women and men in greek life who kept there mouths shut.

[anna7363]

Sororitysock, we are not even talking about that anymore, can you please drop it. I don't want to talk about it anymore. We are having a real conversation about a different issue

[DrPhil]

Alright, sorority sock puppet, we got your point. Go away.

[anna7363]

I apologize for making up stuff, but honestly you know why I made it up. Because I didn't want to be in a conversation as that weird person who got cookie cutter answers and half truths from everyone because of who I am. Please leave it be

[anna7363]

I'll explain who I am for you all. I am a transgender girl who rushed for greek life at my school. I essentially got lied to by both advisors, students, and others that I had a real fair chance of getting in. It was all in an effort to legally cover their butts. What they did more or less violated university policy. I would have been cool with them telling me that I couldn't tbh. But my problem is that the office of greek affairs and others strung me on for almost a year.
I came on here because I wanted unadulterated opinions on what people think. And not having to deal with the situation of getting half truths. All my friends in greek life from other universities were really surprised when I didn't get in. That is the incredibly short story but intellectually understanding things is my way of coping with stuff. And the shit I got put through has done its number to me. Coming on here and asking a story that got opinions I wanted to hear is part of that intellectual understanding.

[AZTheta]

wait…what?

There's no sorority sister? There's no biological sister? This is all make-believe?

I'm going to pay attention to the larger issue that's being discussed by sorority and fraternity members, and ignore the side story.

[anna7363]

A lot of people on campus have told me basically what happened in its entirety. My guess is you have to be from one of the three sororities that accept seniors. At least 3 different girls in one of those sororities in particular told me what happened. They are my friends and disgruntled members had more loyalty to me then to you guys. Whether thats because you had treated them like garbage so they vented to me drunk at a party. Bitching about what terrible people you all are. Or they are good friends who trust me intimately and aren't going to bail on me just cause they got into a sorority.