A recent survey conducted by Miami University's Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgendered and Questioning Services (GLBTQ) and the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life assessed the acceptance of Miami's LGBTQ population in the Greek community. Survey results indicated that LGBTQ respondents reported viewing sororities and fraternities as less accepting than straight students did, according to the survey results report provided by the Office of Diversity affairs.
Of the 356 students who participated in the survey, (312 undergraduates and 53 graduate students) 173 were Greek affiliated.
Associate Director of Diversity Affairs Demere Woolway said the survey, conducted from Sept. 5 to Oct. 5, 2012, was created to better understand the needs of students and to understand stereotypes of the Greek community, LGBTQ students and Miami students in general.
Woolway's office had previously done a more general survey to assess the needs of Miami's LBGTQ community and she felt the office needed to know more about the Greek community's role in LGBTQ students' lives after speaking with students who thought they might have missed out on a bid from an organization based on their sexual preference.
The Diversity Affairs Office and Women's Center facilitate programming for LGBTQ students and their allies, including Spectrum, an undergraduate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight alliance.
Overall, 44 percent of respondents ranked Miami's sororities and fraternities as slightly accepting of LGBTQ people.
Also, 37 percent of respondents answered Greek organizations were moderately accepting or very accepting.
In addition, 19 percent of respondents said sororities and fraternities were not at all accepting and 0 percent said soroities and fraternities were very accepting of LGBTQ people.
"There was a very clear difference between offering a bid to an openly gay person and being accepting of a member who came out who was already a member," Woolway said. "If somebody was already a member of their organization and then they came out as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, people would be relatively likely to accept them and be supportive."
Nearly 67 percent of Greek respondents said it was extremely likely they would accept a current member who came out, while 40 percent said it was very or extremely likely that an openly gay, lesbian or bisexual person would receive a bid from their chapter.
However, nearly 60 percent said it is unlikely or not at all likely that an openly transgender potential member would receive a bid from their chapter.
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Pan-Hellenic President senior Dana Shanley said in general, based on her experiences participating in recruitment as a member of Chi Omega sorority, sororities do not discriminate based on sexual preference during rush.
"From my personal experience (sexual preference) is not something we would ever discriminate against in recruitment ... it would have never come up," Shanley said.
Sophomore Kendal Mello believes her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, would be accepting of a potential new member or initiated sister who was lesbian, bisexual or transgendered.
"If that's how they choose to live their life, that's fine with me," Mello said.
The issue of accepting LGBTQ people into the Greek system has not been heavily emphasized at official meetings of Miami Greek organizations thus far, according to Katherine Fox, program coordinator for the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life & Leadership.
"We're going to be bringing those conversations back to the table as soon as possible," Fox said. Shanley said that with rush season so recently completed, leaders of Greek life have not had a lot of time to meet.
Now that the busy season of formal recruitment has concluded, Fox said the office will be taking an initiative to incorporate the results of the needs assessment survey.
"We want to encourage a lot of education and partnership (between LGBTQ community leaders) and chapter presidents," Fox said.
She emphasized the need for Greek leaders to communicate their openness to accepting gay or transgendered members.
Woolway said she believes mutual miscommunication and stereotyping between the LGBTQ and Greek communities is one major issue.
According to Woolway, LGBTQ persons often choose not to participate in recruitment, fearing discrimination and Greek organizations often choose not to advertise being accepting, fearing a loss of popularity.
Alpha Delta Phi member, senior Chris Comer said while the issue of accepting gay or transgendered men into his brotherhood has not been discussed, he is not opposed to the idea.
"We don't care if they're gay or not as long as they're cool, as long as they're good people," Comer said.
This survey can be found on the 'Climate at Miami' page on the GLBTQ Services website.
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