A look at the transgender community within the Greek system
From the announcement of Caitlyn Jenner, to Emmy Nominated Laverne Cox, the transgender community has been receiving more and more attention by everyone lately.
With huge strides toward acceptance of the LGBTQA community, Greek houses have begun to create policies and take a bigger look around what it means to be a member, and their policies may be surprising.
Sigma Phi Epsilon, as reported by TFM, has opened its doors nationally to people who identify as transgender.
The organization”s policy now states, “Any individual who identifies as a man is welcome to seek membership in the fraternity. This policy is intended to uphold the mission of Sigma Phi Epsilon as a fellowship of men and should not be interpreted as changing the all-male character of the Fraternity or as a waiver of the Fraternity”s exempt status under Title IX.”
In 2011, Elle Mallon, who identifies as a trans-woman, started her own gender inclusive Greek organization Theta Pi Sigma. A chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity recently elected a transgender person as their president. Greek houses are already starting to address gender identity inclusiveness.
Alexander Milles
National headquarters for Greek organizations have the autonomy to establish their own membership standards.
This begs the question: What should those standards be? Should people who are transgender be brought into Greek living? Could people who are transgender join a house before transitioning?
There are a lot of unsolved questions, which has a lot to do with the fact that most people who identify as transgender have just chosen not to go Greek in the past.
As time passes, it will be interesting to see what houses will take this topic on. Already, huge steps have been made toward people of different sexual orientations. It only seems fitting that people of different gender identities be treated the same.
It will be huge to see which organizations follow Sigma Phi Epsilon”s lead, and nationally become inclusive not only to people of different sexual orientations, but who identify with the opposite sex.
For Greeks who simply haven”t considered this topic before, now is the chance to challenge our perceptions and try to be more considerate.
Try not to use gender specific language. Instead of asking if someone has a boyfriend or girlfriend, just ask if they are seeing anybody.
If we are to be the best Greeks we can be, it”s time to adapt to the way society is shifting and begin the conversation locally of what it truly means to be a member of each Greek organization.
Alexander Milles can be reached at [email protected]