The Arizona Republic
June 4, 2006
When Steven Tran joined Sigma Phi Beta, a fraternity for gay men and their straight allies founded at Arizona State University, he was questioning his sexual orientation.
That search grew to include his gender identity. The sophomore isn't sure which gender he identifies with most, but that has not jeopardized his membership with Sigma Phi Beta.
"I don't feel like I was ever able to really express myself. My inability to really be who I was felt like suffocation. When I joined Sigma Phi Beta, I really found a safe space," Tran said.Sigma Phi Beta recently became the first Greek organization to adopt a policy offering membership to students who identify as male, regardless of whether they were born male. "It's a challenge that we've had, to overcome being gender specific while reaching out to a community that crosses the boundary of gender norms," said Sam Holdren, the fraternity's national president and an ASU graduate student.
"But we recognize that they are a part of our community, and there was a response to reach out and make sure we were walking our talk."The policy "really gives people the opportunity to explore their identities," Holdren said.
It also will spark discussion about the complexity of sexual identity in fraternities and sororities, said Shane Windmeyer, founder of the Lambda 10 Project, a national clearinghouse for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender fraternity and sorority issues.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0604fraternity0604.html
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