Can trans girls be sorority girls? (Cosmo article title)

[KSUViolet06]

http://www.cosmopolitan.com/college/...public-policy/

Interesting Cosmo piece about the struggles of trans women seeking sorority membership.

Sidenote: Proud to be one of three sororities mentioned in the article with official policies inclusive of transgender women.

[3StringedLyre]

I wonder if she will get a bid. I hope so. But I enjoyed the article. It was frank and to the point.

[candygirl200413]

Just some clarification, would a university/college local panhellenic also need to say yes to being inclusive even if they have sororities like DG, SSS or KKG that already have the policy inact?

I was just thinking about that with my sorority, especially after reading minutes from the past convention about including inclusive language such as including transgender women. I know I would, as well as my own chapter would be fine with this but I guess that where my question would go to about if panhellenic would have to approve at my school?

[KSUViolet06]

A local Panhellenic cannot supersede our policy statements, to my knowledge.

[AGDee]

I don't think they had up to date information on which groups have positions although some groups may not have them publicly posted and that could be what they went by.

[MaggieMaggie]

I don't know if they received bids but my daughter told me there were 2 trans women who went through rush this fall at her school. My question is while I understand PH wanting to prepare the chapters, maybe only officers/rush chairs should have been advised so the chapters could make their own decision(s) regarding these individuals without any even accidental bias from PH?

[Kevin]

Different lane, I know, but one of our chapters accepted a trans member last year. HQ was aware and did not interfere.

[clemsongirl]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I don't think they had up to date information on which groups have positions although some groups may not have them publicly posted and that could be what they went by.

I'm fairly certain the article mentions that the three groups named are the only ones with public, front-facing policies. I know there are more than that that have internal policies the author may not have known about.

[NWguy]

I think it's great that various colleges and/or fraternity and sorority organizations have become more open to LGBTQ members. The mood was very different when I went to school.

But, what happens if any of the other new members are uncomfortable with a fellow trans sister? Or, maybe they're fine with having a trans sister, but uncomfortable about having her live in the house?

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by NWguy

But, what happens if any of the other new members are uncomfortable with a fellow trans sister? Or, maybe they're fine with having a trans sister, but uncomfortable about having her live in the house?

Um. They need to grow up?

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by NWguy

I think it's great that various colleges and/or fraternity and sorority organizations have become more open to LGBTQ members. The mood was very different when I went to school.

But, what happens if any of the other new members are uncomfortable with a fellow trans sister? Or, maybe they're fine with having a trans sister, but uncomfortable about having her live in the house?

The NM can drop. The chapter gave her transwoman sister a bid. If you don't like someone that your chapter bid, you suck it up or you drop. (Or you spend time with them, get to know them, and try to see why the chapter thought they were worth bidding.)

It's up to the individual member to decide if she disagrees with the rest of the chapter enough to drop out.

[naraht]

So there are members of the NPC whose public national policies allow trans women, and some where they are not public. Are there members of the NPC whose national policies would not allow a trans woman to become a member?

And if the above is true, how would rush (and behind the scenes documentation) be done in the case where some of the people going through rush would not be allowed to be in some of the sororities.

I can't come up with a previous parallel here, neither race limitations, religious limitations nor ancestry limitations would seem to work as a parallel...

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by naraht

So there are members of the NPC whose public national policies allow trans women, and some where they are not public. Are there members of the NPC whose national policies would not allow a trans woman to become a member?

And if the above is true, how would rush (and behind the scenes documentation) be done in the case where some of the people going through rush would not be allowed to be in some of the sororities.

I can't come up with a previous parallel here, neither race limitations, religious limitations nor ancestry limitations would seem to work as a parallel...

Same as it would work for grade requirements. PNMs would attend the first round(s) and then be dropped at the first invitational round.

[Sciencewoman]

^^^ I was thinking the same thing. GPA minimums are nationally/internationally set, but may not be publicly shared. PNMs who meet the minimum GPA set by their university Panhellenic visit all chapters during formal recruitment, even though there may be groups who have higher minimum GPA requirements and will have to release any PNM who doesn't meet it. Even if a group has not adopted an inclusive policy statement toward transgender women, PNMs would still visit all sororities participating in formal recruitment. I can't see anyone being excluded from visiting certain groups.

Membership selection is still private. Some groups may be concerned about Title IX. Naraht, some of your questions are unanswerable, TBD, etc. This is new territory.

I'm wondering if there will be any policies forthcoming regarding transgender PNMs who joined a fraternity and after transitioning want to join an NPC sorority.

[33girl]

As with other previous restrictions regarding race, religion etc, there are no doubt individual chapters that are pledging and initiating trans members regardless of what national policies say.