Being an LGBTQ+ student in the predominantly heterosexual space of UT Greek life

When UT junior Tatum Eades returned home early from a night out, she overheard her sorority sisters pass her bedroom and tell their friends, “This is where the gay girl lives.” The same girls attempted to ban Eades, one of the sorority’s only openly gay members, from living in the Pi Beta Phi sorority house and from having girls in her bedroom.

“I kept wondering if (coming out) would affect how people saw me or if it would make it harder

to find my place,” Eades said. “There was this worry about standing out in a way that might not

be accepted or could make others uncomfortable.”

Greek life, especially in Southern states, has a traditional and heteronormative history that often

leaves LGBTQ+ and other minority students feeling unsafe or excluded. According to a 2022

report, “The State of LGBTQIA+ Affairs at UT Austin,” LGBTQIA+ students reported feeling

less safe at UT compared to straight students. The study also notes that the very existence of

Greek life on campus causes harm for LGBTQIA+ students. The authors of the report come to

the conclusion that eradicating Greek life is the only viable option in adhering with UT’s

standards of inclusion.

LGBTQ+ members of both sororities and fraternities have experienced instances of

discrimination and homophobia within Greek life spaces. Ellie Monday, a bisexual executive

board member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, said that on the bus to a fraternity formal,

fraternity members casually used the f-slur, making younger members, many of which were of

LGBTQ+ identities, uncomfortable.

Jonathan Brewster, a gay member of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity, shared a similar sentiment.

While he’s experienced discrimination, he said that it’s important to be vocal in these situations.

“It's uncomfortable and it might be a little awkward, but then it's a lot more awkward knowing

that you put yourself in situations where people disrespect you,” he said.

Since a large majority of the LGBTQ+ community has experienced some variety of

discrimination within Greek life, their incentives for joining these organizations may seem

counterintuitive. However, the organizations serve as a mechanism for making friends with

similar values and making a large school feel smaller, Monday said.

“I knew I wanted to be in a sorority that would accept me for who I am. And it wasn't just that. It

was more just that I would feel safe being who I am. Literally just that I would be accepted,

basically,” Monday said.

Brewster, whose circle of friends has been predominantly female before college, said that joining a fraternity allowed him to make other male friends.

“I didn't want to be just someone's gay friend. It was more about being someone's friend. That

was just super important to me when I was choosing a fraternity,” he said.

Sorority and fraternity “date events” are often a source of vulnerability for LGBTQ+ members,

Monday said.

Eades said that she opted to leave a sorority formal after fraternity members glared at her and her masculine-presenting girlfriend at the event. Monday faced similar glances of disapproval while wearing jeans to a Western-themed event.

Texas is a predominantly Republican state with conservative views on LGBTQ+ issues, which

may be part of the reason that a majority of Greek life members remain in the closet out of fear

of rejection from their peers. Others, like Monday, Eades, and Brewster, accept the fact that not everyone may support their sexuality, but value the members that do. 

UPC Greek organizations are predominantly heterosexual; however, other organizations exist as safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students who are eager to find other members of campus who share their identities.

Monday is also part of UT’s Orange Jackets, an organization that her mom, who was also a gay

student at UT, was formerly a member of. The members are more liberal and progressive, she

said, which allows her to find common ground among other students. Eades said being part of

UT’s club lacrosse team also serves as a source of community for her, as a handful of her

teammates are openly gay. Gamma Rho Lambda is the first and only LGBTQ+, gender all-

inclusive Greek organization at UT and serves as another safe space for LGBTQ+ students.

Sunny Wang, VP of Diversity and Inclusion for UT’s Panhellenic Council, explained the efforts

that the committee is making to make Greek life more inclusive for LGBTQ+ students.

Wang said Panhellenic has a lot of work to do in terms of LGBTQ+ inclusivity, but recognizes

the significant improvements that have taken place in the last five to 10 years.

The committee holds a roundtable in the spring that educates sorority executives on how to be

inclusive during the rush process, and Wang visits sorority chapters during work week to explain

how to be inclusive during the rush process, specifically in regards to respecting pronouns of

potential new members.

While UT and Greek organizations have a long way to go on the path to inclusivity of LGBTQ+

students, Monday said that it’s important to surround yourself with people who support your

identity.

“At the end of the day, it is who I am, and I think it kind of comes down to, are you going to be

against who I am as a person?” Monday said.