Gay members of Dartmouth's Greek system shared stories last night of their painful experiences being part of a system they said is inherently biased towards heterosexuality, at a discussion in Sigma Nu fraternity.
Members of Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Delta Delta Delta sorority, and Sigma Nu made up the five-member panel, who recounted positive and negative aspects of belonging to Greek houses. More than 50 gay and straight people joined the panelists in a circle and listened intently throughout the discussion.
The general consensus of the panel was that the Greek system is "primarily a society set up to promote heterosexuality," as Ezekiel Webber '00 said, and one which can occasionally be "blatantly hostile" to gay members.
Because of the fraternity system's focus on social events such as formals which have a heterosexual tradition, the panelists said gay students often feel as though they cannot participate fully in their own house activities.
Panelists said they often felt uncomfortable bringing same-sex dates to the house events.
"I avoided social activities," said Sara Burgamy '00, a member of Tri-Delt, of her first year at her house.
Some panelists said they were more comfortable coming out [informing others of their sexual orientation] to the general Dartmouth community than they were to their houses, saying the College as a whole is more accepting than the fraternity system.
This being said, Dartmouth is "not a place that embraces diversity," Pam Misener, Coordinator of Student Life at the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender said.
Though four of the five panelists' experiences with their houses were positive overall, Misener -- who has been at Dartmouth since September -- said their experiences "aren't the norm."
She urged students to come by her office in the Collis Center and borrow a copy of a book called "Out on Fraternity Row" a collection of personal accounts of gay members in Greek college houses.
It does help to have brothers or sisters in similar situations in your house, panelists said. Speakers emphasized that being the only gay member of a fraternity creates the risk you will become "the token (homosexual)," representing every gay student at Dartmouth, Theta sister Amanda Keton '00 said. This is not a responsibility students are necessarily willing to take on.
"You get tired of having to educate people," Burgamy said.
Certain houses are more open to gay members than others, according to the panelists.
Liz Teutsch '99, a member of KKG, said she found her house to be the most "hyper-heterosexist house on campus," and that members there are "judged by how hot their (male) dates are." The opportunity for Teutsch to bring a girlfriend to a Greek event "would never happen at my house."
Other panelists nodded their heads in agreement as Teutsch singled out KKG as being an especially difficult place for gays to feel comfortable.
Gay brothers at Sigma Nu, however, said they feel welcome at the house. Niegel Smith '02, a pledge at the fraternity, said he felt "comfortable with the space" he was in at Sigma Nu, and said he felt "openness" from his fellow brothers. He said it is the reason he pledged at the fraternity instead of anywhere else.
Speakers agreed that most of the fraternities and sororities on campus are often exclusive in nature, but none of the speakers spoke in defense of the Trustee Social and Residential Life Initiative which may dissolve the Greek system on campus.
Burgamy was a speaker at the Psi Upsilon fraternity, pro-Greek system rally during Winter Carnival of last year and spoke in defense of the Greek system.
"I was uncomfortable with the Initiative," Burgamy said, because though she felt excluded from Tri-Delt at first, she became more involved in the house activities and eventually began to enjoy her experience at the house.
Burgamy, who came out to fellow students at the rally, said that students were incredibly receptive to her announcement. She received many blitzes from her fellow sorority members saying that they were "very proud" to have her as a sister.
Panelists ended the meeting saying that improvements need to be made in the Greek system in order to create a more open and welcoming community at Dartmouth.
Vice President of Sigma Nu Shreeram Akilesh '00, who moderated the discussion, said he hopes the panel "is only the a beginning of discussion," and that Dartmouth students "shouldn't give up" on the idea of creating a more receptive campus.
