University of Kansas Sorority Member Raises Concerns Over Non-Binary Membership Policies, Transgender Honorary Member
Concerns are mounting within the University of Kansas’s Sigma Kappa local sorority chapter over the potential inclusion of non-binary members and the honorary membership of a transgender activist in the national sorority.
Sarah Green, a student at the university, joined the sorority in April 2023 due to its history of supporting women on college campuses and its mission to “foster lifelong connection in sisterhood while being true to our founding as an intellectual and social women’s sorority.”
Green, who is also the TPUSA chapter president on campus, explained in a thread on X (formerly Twitter) that two months after joining she received a survey about non-binary membership sent to 66,000 students and alumni. The national leadership also invited members to a listening session on the topic, which Green attended. She was one of only three members present, and all expressed discomfort with the idea of including individuals who were not women.
During the session, Green learned that Sigma Kappa had contracted with TA Strategies, a law firm specializing in LGBTQ+ advocacy in Greek life, managed by a transgender-identifying attorney and activist. This individual, a 37-year-old former member of the Sigma Phi Beta fraternity, is receiving sisterhood honors in Sigma Kappa this Wednesday.
“Many members that I spoke with were shocked that this was happening in our house and that our dues were paying for this advocacy consultation,” Green explained.
Green requested that the survey results be released to members, but it took six months for leadership to disclose the outcomes of only two out of over 15 questions. Still, the results showed that a majority of members preferred to keep the sorority exclusive to biological women. One survey statement, “There is a space in Sigma Kappa for people who identify as non-binary,” received only 38.5 percent agreement, with 45.2 percent disagreeing.
Instead of adhering to the survey results, sorority leadership created a special committee of members and alumni to further discuss non-binary membership. Members of the committee had to apply and undergo interviews.
Green applied but was asked how she would inform her chapter about allowing non-binary membership, indicating that the decision might have already been made. Her application was ultimately rejected, with leadership citing a high volume of applicants but providing no further details.
“With this new committee and the honorary membership of a transgender activist to the sisterhood, I am concerned that the membership and alumni do not fully understand the efforts that are being made and how our dues are being spent,” Green explained.
Green also noted that many members were unaware of the ongoing efforts and feared expressing their opinions publicly or within their chapters due to potential repercussions.
“My hope is that membership becomes more informed and engaged and that leadership becomes more transparent as it pursues its DEI strategies,” she continued. “These decisions have a real impact. And, let’s be honest, while nearly every member I have spoken to is shocked at these efforts of ‘inclusion,’ most are fearful of stating so publicly or even within their chapter. They are afraid of stating their true opinions for fear suspension or accusations of harassment. Leadership should seriously consider why that is.”
