You have probably heard my story by now, but I'm a recent graduate of the University of Wyoming and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. In Fall 2022, my sorority initiated a biological male, completely ignoring our national bylaws that require members to be women. National leadership forced us to vote publicly (not through a secret ballot as with every woman), letting us know that failure to support his membership would indicate that we were unfit for the sisterhood. After he joined, we had our privacy stripped from us and endured unwanted photographs, sexual questions, and an uncomfortable male gaze. Our sorority would not stand for us.
So we stood for ourselves, as brave women have done throughout history.
We filed a lawsuit earlier this year, and I wanted to provide an update now that Independent Women's Law Center is backing our case.
The district court tossed our case out, reasoning that "woman" in Kappa's bylaws was undefined which gave Kappa leadership the freedom to define "woman" to include "man." (Can you believe it?)
At that point, Independent Women's Law Center stepped in with legal resources and filed an appeal to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Kappa leadership tried to prevent the court from taking the case, arguing we had to keep trying in the same court that already ruled against us. Independent Women's Law Center fired back and just last week, the Tenth Circuit agreed to continue hearing the appeal. Our first brief will be due in December.
While there's a lot at stake, not only for my sisters but for all women who participate or live in single-sex organizations, I'm confident in our arguments.
I'm grateful for all the support that so many members of the IWN/F/V community have shown my sisters and me. While I hope that your daughters have the same benefits that we've had for decades — to enjoy the privacy, safety, and shared experiences of female bonds — that future will only happen if we fight for it.
Please join us in our battle to preserve sisterhood for the next generation.
