Should transgender men be admitted to historically Black college fraternities?
Lifestyle :
For those who may not know, fraternities are college organizations that have been exclusively ‘pledged’ by males, while sororities have been exclusively ‘pledged’ by females. However, the current movement in society to mostly eradicate genders is beginning to mix a lot of things up for everyone.
According to The Advocate, the national organization of Alpha Phi Alpha voted during its recent national convention in Chicago to ban transgender men (people who are born female but change their gender to male). The historically Black fraternity for men has joined Phi Beta Sigma, another historically Black fraternity, in a bold move to keep their organizations for males only.
Writing for GLAAD (a non-profit LGBTQ advocacy organization), Tre’vell Anderson confirmed that the 118-year-old Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity has decided to amend its bylaws to exclude transgender people. The decision will make membership possible only to “any male defined as a human being naturally born male, who remains and continually identifies as a male.” GLAAD acknowledged that they confirmed this verbiage via a copy of the draft.
The Phi Beta Sigma bylaws were also recently changed after a local chapter allowed a transgender male to pledge and join the fraternity. Now, their bylaws have been amended to limit membership to “natural-born males who identify as such.”
As expected, the public reaction with both pro and con opinions has taken over social media.
GLAAD supporters took to social media to call out Black fraternities for promoting and permitting “toxic masculinity” while ostracizing the trans community.
“Alpha Phi Alpha- y’all are banning the wrong people. You got all them rpists, deadbeat daddies, drug sellers, narcissists, mrderers, and Godknowswhat… but trans men are the problem. Guess the Alphas didn’t survive pride month. Keeping up drama in July,” tweeted JAM.
Gay members of Alpha Phi Alpha also spoke up.
“If we allow certain discriminations, we have to allow for all of them,” said member Matthew Shaw, assistant professor of law at Vanderbilt Law School and assistant professor of public policy and education at Vanderbilt Peabody College.
“Their decision to alienate trans and nonbinary people from membership is reactionary, asinine, and unbecoming of an organization with a professed commitment to human rights,” said Deandre Miles-Hercules, a “gender creative” Alpha who uses they/them pronouns. “It’s ludicrous to be the fraternity of [noted members] Thurgood Marshall and Martin Luther King Jr. and come up with a policy that bans trans people.”
Another member who spoke on the condition of anonymity, also decried the vote.
“It doesn’t sit well with me that a white man can be a member of Alpha, this historic Black institution, with no problem — but we’re going to tell Black trans men that they can’t.”
Alpha phi Alpha Fraternity allows non-Black people into their organization. Including settlers. Instead they’re trying to disenfranchise Black trans folks who often experience violence within our own communities? https://t.co/1pA9xJQfr2
— Jason (U mad) (@EmperorTChalla) July 12, 2024
In the moments when I have thought of being a member of a D9 it has been the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. who have lived their lives courageously as Black Queer Greek men or as allies to the LGBTQ+ community that have given me hope and inspiration. I have also always…
— Joseph Reaves, Human Being (@JosephTheyThem) July 12, 2024
However, others called the ban appropriate and necessary.
“Why is everybody trying to get rid of genders?” asked Anthony from Cleveland. “First, they let everybody in the same bathroom. Then they started letting girls in the Boy Scouts. Now this. Can we please have a group for us that is created to be for support of Black men?”
“I feel like once u choose to live your life how u want, u can’t change everybody else’s rules,” another person added on Twitter/X.
Ummm…. Lmao yea the world trippin 🤣😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. I feel like once u choose to live your life how u want, u can’t change everybody else’s rules g. Wanting to go into a restroom is one thing, but y’all mad they saying women can’t join a male fraternity? 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/ZrDOE4jlKi
— . (@inkbypooh_) July 12, 2024
Should historically Black fraternities be legally forced to allow transgender men in their organizations? Are gender norms outdated for social organizations, sports teams, community showers, and more? Or, is it possible that the race to erase genders is getting out of hand?
OK WASSUP! discusses Lifestyle News:
Should Black fraternities ban transgender men?
Now see DJ (sigh!) there you go setting me up to tick off some of your readers! Lol..smh!
“Should transgender men be admitted to historically Black college fraternities?”
No.
And GLAAD can go somewhere and “siddown” and Shut Up!