Gay Fraterni: Small, but Gag Steam New York and Elsewhere - WSJ

Contents:

• GAY HISTORY OF MEN’S FRATERNI
• THE SECRET GAY HISTORY OF AN AMERIN FRATERNY
• GAY FRATERNI: SMALL, BUT GAG STEAM NEW YORK AND ELSEWHERE
• YOU’RE NOT BREAKG BARRIERS BY BEG GAY A ATERNY
• GAY AND GREEK: THE EXPERIENCE OF BEG GAY AND A ATERNY
• WAS ANDREW CUNANAN A MEMBER OF THIS SECRET GAY FRATERNY?

GAY HISTORY OF MEN’S FRATERNI

While there have always been gay and bisexual men aterni, is only the last that they have been acknowledged, sometim accepted, and often rejected.

As a rult, new aterni have been found which ter to gay, bisexual, and straight progrsive men and the anizatns ntue to flourish on mp today. Gay and bisexual men have always been a part of llege aterni, often closeted until after graduatn. Case published the first and only natnal quantative study to date on gay and bisexual men wh the llege aterny.

” Case ascertaed that the percentage of gay men who are aterni is siar to the percentage of male stunts on mp who are gay or bisexual. On average, the male rponnts were able to nfirm (om knowledge received eher durg or after llege), that 5 to 6 percent of members their aterny chapters were gay or bisexual. He also found that gay and bisexual members joed a aterny for siar reasons as heterosexual members, namely to fd iendship and mararie, as a social outlet, and to have a support group and sense of belongg.

THE SECRET GAY HISTORY OF AN AMERIN FRATERNY

The tenncy toward “over-achievement, ” Case believ, reflected a need of gay and bisexual male stunts for self-validatn and acceptance om the aterny. The Lambda 10 Project Natnal Clearghoe for Gay, Lbian, Bisexual Fraterny and Sorory Issu was found 1995 at Indiana Universy to heighten the visibily of gay, lbian, and bisexual members of the llege aterny system by servg as a clearghoe for rourc and tnal materials. Three years later, Out on Fraterny Row: Personal Acunts of Beg Gay a College Fraterny was the first book to look closely at the llective experience of sexual inty and aterny life.

This anthology chronicled the posive impact of gay and bisexual brothers wh aterny life, the llective harms of homophobia on iendship/brotherhood, and the prevalent “nial dynamic” jog a aterny–the belief that somehow by jog a aterny my “gay feelgs” will subsi.

Men aterni n no longer ny that there are gay and bisexual men wh their ranks or that homophobia is a pervasive problem. The experience of gay and bisexual men vari greatly pendg on the men wh the chapter, the llege mp climate, and the natnal aterny learship.

GAY FRATERNI: SMALL, BUT GAG STEAM NEW YORK AND ELSEWHERE

The acceptance of gay and bisexual aterny brothers is relatively greater when members jo the aterny closeted, tablish a close iendship and brotherhood, and then disclose their sexual inty.

The Lambda 10 Project documents s of men who have been kicked out for beg gay or bisexual as well as men who are weled or accepted for who they are.

For some openly gay and bisexual men wantg to jo a aterny, that may only leave one choice: a gay and bisexual sensive aterny. In 1986, Delta Lambda Phi beme the first natnal social aterny for gay, bisexual, and straight progrsive men.

YOU’RE NOT BREAKG BARRIERS BY BEG GAY A ATERNY

Free of heterosexism and homophobia, the aternal environment provis a safe, fortable space for men to velop a strong sense of iendship and a balanced sexual inty—whether be gay, bisexual, or heterosexual. The men are able to ga the promise of aterny life—iendship, valuable learship skills, and a posive self-teem whout the hostily and hatred often prent toward gay and bisexual men a tradnal aterny. Delta Lambda Phi wnsed solid growth the late 1990s and is currently the olst and largt gay and bisexual sensive aterny wh over twenty-five chapters and loni.

The emergence of Alpha Lambda T is further evince that gay and bisexual men long for a aterny experience. Many men are g to mp openly gay and bisexual, so the need for such aterni will only crease as more men are lookg for the aterny experience whout the heterosexism and homophobia.

GAY AND GREEK: THE EXPERIENCE OF BEG GAY AND A ATERNY

While gay men and bisexuals are certaly fdg more opportuni to be a part of the aterny experience, transgenr stunts will face a tougher battle, pecially if they want to jo existg aterni.

As more and more people e out of the closet and at younger ag, aterny members will see an crease the number of gay and bisexual men who sire to be a part of the Greek experience (Baker 2002). This visibily, however, may rult more homophobia, biphobia, and cints of hate directed toward gays and bisexuals. As a rult, llege admistrators as well as natnal aterny lears will likely place more emphasis on creatg policy, practic, and tnal rourc that affirm the prence and acceptance of gay and bisexual members.

In addn, aterni found to provi the Greek experience to gay, bisexual, and perhaps even transgenr stunts will ntue to grow both the number of chapters as well as the number of stunts per chapter. <> Listg of Delta Lambda Phi lol aterny chapters as well as historil background rmatn on the foundg of the anizatn, ’s prcipl and valu as the first and largt natnal aterny for gay, bisexual and progrsive men. <> Rource clearghoe of tnal terventns, books, articl, personal says and other web lks related to sexual orientatn issu aterny and sorory life as well as a listg of over 4000+ openly gay men and women llege aterni and sorori to work for visibily and support of g out today on mp.

WAS ANDREW CUNANAN A MEMBER OF THIS SECRET GAY FRATERNY?

No, this is a story about thgs I saw and heard and experienced, but don’t end wh me steppg bravely forward and proudly clarg my homosexualy to the world and fdg my place . Some of the iends did turn out to be gay, though I had no ia at the time, as they, I thk, had srcely any ia about me. Afterward, my broad-shoulred stoner iend sually told Jason that “What we did was okay, bee I heard you have to do three tim wh a guy to make you gay.

In the aterny which I belonged, a small subset of iends began referrg to the annual fall visatn of alumni as “Homog Weekend. By the time I graduated 1987, I had been through a few Homog Weekends and taken the long walk wh several of my olr aterny brothers, who would awkwardly nfs to beg gay.