Transgender women in sorority life?

anna7363 · #1 06-12-2014, 05:14 PM

So I'm going to preface this by saying I'm not going not say what the chapter, sorority, or college this happened at for the privacy of all involved. Essentially what happen is we had this transgender girl rush for our sorority through informal recruitment. She looks great, is very sociable, and seemed to fit in with the girls great. Honestly I would have said if we didn't know she was trans I would have considered her a steal. Like I don't think it is a stretch to say she would have easily been a "top tier" girl if no one knew she was trans.

However, despite the fact she looked so good we knew she was trans when she started rushing for us through guys in our partner frat who had known her when she was a guy. So long story short about 90% of the sorority wanted to let her in because she was such an amazing steal by getting her during informal recruitment. But 10% of the girls however were really against it, they were viciously prejudice against her. I frankly felt the way the acted was unwarranted but maybe thats just me.

So basically what then happen was that they decided they were going to break the rules and not have a vote on this girl because they knew she'd get in if they let a vote go through. They did this and the girl never got in. Honestly I think its kind of BS because she was such a great fit and would have really helped out house in recruitment next year but yeah. So I'm on here to ask what you all think and what you would have done?

33girl · #2 06-12-2014, 05:24 PM

Just out of curiosity, how old was she?

anna7363 · #3 06-12-2014, 05:28 PM

She was 18

33girl · #4 06-12-2014, 05:30 PM

And she's fully transitioned?

anna7363 · #5 06-12-2014, 05:32 PM

Idk, I don't really think thats our business. Even if it was, no one in the sorority even bothered to ask the question. A lot of people I think just assumed she hadn't and no one really even now knows

clemsongirl · #6 06-12-2014, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anna7363

So I'm going to preface this by saying I'm not going not say what the chapter, sorority, or college this happened at for the privacy of all involved. Essentially what happen is we had this transgender girl rush for our sorority through informal recruitment. She looks great, is very sociable, and seemed to fit in with the girls great. Honestly I would have said if we didn't know she was trans I would have considered her a steal. Like I don't think it is a stretch to say she would have easily been a "top tier" girl if no one knew she was trans.

However, despite the fact she looked so good we knew she was trans when she started rushing for us through guys in our partner frat who had known her when she was a guy. So long story short about 90% of the sorority wanted to let her in because she was such an amazing steal by getting her during informal recruitment. But 10% of the girls however were really against it, they were viciously prejudice against her. I frankly felt the way the acted was unwarranted but maybe thats just me.

So basically what then happen was that they decided they were going to break the rules and not have a vote on this girl because they knew she'd get in if they let a vote go through. They did this and the girl never got in. Honestly I think its kind of BS because she was such a great fit and would have really helped out house in recruitment next year but yeah. So I'm on here to ask what you all think and what you would have done?

This is going to turn into an interesting discussion of the legal implications of social Greek organizations being single-gender groups under Title IX, I'm sure. I have no personal experience in this area but I think I can point out some of the facets of this issue. Whether your group, which presumably has protected single-gender status under Title IX, was actually able to take a person who might be biologically male but identify outwardly as female is one. Whether having a biologically male person join that group would endanger their single-gender status is another. What the transgender person's legal gender designation was and whether your sisters felt comfortable potentially having a person in their house (if there is one) who is still biologically male can also come into play.

It does sound like the 10% of girls you describe as being prejudiced against her at the very least bent your sorority's procedures regarding voting by not holding a vote when one should have been held. I feel like your advisors, if they were not already involved in this process, should be told what happened so they can investigate whether this girl can join your sorority.

What I would have done? If this PNM would be able to join our sorority without endangering us under Title IX, and I truly believed that she would be a good sister and fit in with my chapter, I would have wanted her to join us. I'm just not sure if she would be able to, and someone with more legal experience will be able to comment on that.

anna7363 · #7 06-12-2014, 05:35 PM

My big problem with this is at huge greek schools like U of I, Alabama, Flordia, etc... Schools that greek life is so big that you can't be socially involved on campus without being in a fraternity or sorority. Essentially what we are doing by telling trans people they are not allowed in is telling them they are not allowed to be actively involved on the campus.

DubaiSis · #8 06-12-2014, 05:37 PM

I think it depends on a few factors. If this is an NPC sorority, the rules say WOMEN. I would hate to get into the argument about what constitutes being a WOMAN in the eyes of that sorority, but my guess is a trans person would not meet the standards as currently written or accepted. My guess is the same rules would apply to NPHC and most of the multi-cultural sororities, although I can't speak for them.

And because of status situations with sororities on campus at public schools they can't bend the rules because of 1 awesome trans person. It could open up a tax law (and Title IX and probably a bunch of other rules the sororities function under) can of worms you'd never get closed again.

While this gal may be great, I would let this one go.

ETA/if surgery is completed, then that is a different thing. No longer trans=woman=eligible for NPC sorority membership. I have a friend who has been trans for 25 years but can't have the final surgery because of her job (she's a kind of famous drag queen). There are sacrifices she makes in order to keep her very lucrative job.

carnation · #9 06-12-2014, 05:39 PM

As an alum of 3 of those big schools, let me say that you can definitely be highly involved without being Greek. Where did you get that idea?

anna7363 · #10 06-12-2014, 05:41 PM

I mean don't you think this needs to get resolved eventually tho? Cause its not like these people are going away. Lets also not forget the fact we probably have a bunch of trans women in our sororities already. The only difference is we don't know they are trans but they still probably walk amongst us. And are just so afraid to tell us that we may never know they are trans

anna7363 · #11 06-12-2014, 05:41 PM

@carnation, things I've heard from friends on campuses like those

carnation · #12 06-12-2014, 05:42 PM

With the recommendation system in place, especially in the South, I expect we will know if someone is trans.

anna7363 · #13 06-12-2014, 05:44 PM

Well Greek Life doesn't just exist in the south and I'm sure someone could get recommendations that don't out a trans person

anna7363 · #14 06-12-2014, 05:46 PM

The campus I'm on doesn't require a recommendation btw

carnation · #15 06-12-2014, 05:49 PM

The campus has nothing to do with it. Several individual sororities do and that is supposed to apply to all their chapters.