OPINION & EDITORIAL
Greek sexuality misconceptions unfair
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Also by Guest Columnist:
- Stop America's 'green scare' (December 10, 2007)
- Greek sexuality misconceptions unfair (December 6, 2007)
- Security fee shows UWPD's prejudice (December 6, 2007)
- Vote Democrat, vote equal LGBT rights (December 6, 2007)
- Free trade stagnates upward mobility (December 6, 2007)
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- Exploring the Issues: Sexuality - Your responses (December 7, 2007)
- Open dialogue necessary (April 17, 2006)
- Gay frat diversifies Greeks (May 4, 2007)
- Greek community generous at heart (April 1, 2005)
by Guest Columnist
Thursday, December 6, 2007
When it comes to outsiders speculating about sexuality in the Greek community, the claim, "You think you know, but you have no idea," is actually far from the truth. Actually, we are quite similar. Of course, we have our rituals, ceremonies and other secretive aspects of our chapters that are only explained to members, but as far as sexuality is concerned — we are not so different from non-Greek students at the University of Wisconsin.
But before I enlighten you with all the similarities, let me first address a large difference: labels. Sexually promiscuous students without a Greek affiliation are typically referred to with generic names. For females, they may be called a slut or a whore. For males, it's something similar.
As a Greek, however, we are bestowed even more stirring and derogatory titles, many of which are used before it's even known if the Greek in question does, in fact, sleep around. I've heard them all: sorostitutes and fratdaddies, hambones and hooknasties, or simply slutty sorority girl — oh, the alliteration! And because I can't pick my favorite adjective for "frat" guy, circle your favorite: chauvinistic, misogynistic, sexist. Furthermore, all of these references can be lumped into our own little sexually promiscuous worlds: the fratmosphere and the sororizone.
That large difference aside, let's discuss a huge similarity. We're all in college. Though some abstain, let's face it: There's a whole lotta sex going on around here. Whether it's the couple stumbling out of a bar — or, more shamefully, Taco Bell — to head home for a drunk roll in the sack, the two young people who couldn't wait until the football game ended and resorted to the Camp Randall restroom to relieve their sexual tension, or the "friends" from high school dressed as Tetris blocks on Halloween that decide even though their costumes aren't meant to fit together, they should still "make it work" in the bedroom. Whether the couple has been dating for years, just met or knows each other through a student organization, be it Greek or not, college students having sex is a common denominator.
Of course, I have to admit that it's easy to pick Greeks out from a crowd. From my experience, sorority women often travel in packs, fraternity men tend to frequent the same bars and we all feel the need to theme our parties, wear our letters and create matching T-shirts whenever possible. However, we have more than 2,500 members. To generalize and stereotype every single member regarding topics like sexuality is an absurd notion. As is the case with any student organization, there's always "that guy" or "that girl." In our case, "that news story," or "that new TV show," which makes people believe that because one member of the organization does it, everyone does it. This is a false assumption.
As you may know, the media often portrays Greeks as heterosexual and homophobic. For example, if you watched "Greek" on ABC Family (Don't worry, I won't judge you… I watched it, too) there was a telling example when a young fraternity man struggled with whether or not he should come out to his brothers. Newsflash, my friends, that is another stereotype — all chapters aren't so judgmental!
Although I cannot speak for other campuses, the Greek community at UW is especially accepting of all sexualities. There are openly homosexual members in many chapters, and one of our recently founded fraternities, Delta Lambda Phi, is a progressive men's fraternity that has been widely accepted and encouraged to succeed by the greater Greek community.
Additionally, all new Greek members must go through a day of training with the campus organization Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment and motivational speaker Rick Barnes, to learn about the dangers of sexual assault and other important issues.
We plan numerous educational speakers on topics like Harlan Cohen's "How to Find a Date while Sober," Leslie Goldman's "Body Image: The Naked Truth" and Sex Signals, "a two-person show that provides a proactive look at the issues of dating, sex and ultimately, acquaintance-rape on college campuses," according to Catharsis Productions.
A group of Greeks founded the Langdon Street Neighborhood Watch program, which utilizes the size of the Greek community to our advantage and sends crews of Greeks out on Friday and Saturday nights with reflective vests and flashlights to walk the Langdon area and serve as a visual deterrent without being confrontational. Many chapters schedule events for their members with Sex Out Loud and PAVE so that individual chapters can have one-on-one time with those facilitators and learn more in-depth about sex and safety.
Men participate in the Fraternity Action Coalition, which, according to University Health Services' definition, is "a one-credit independent study option for men in fraternities to learn from one another (and from victim services professionals) about the intersections of masculinity and violence against women."
I could go on until I'm blue in the face about all the things the Greek community does to battle our sexuality stereotypes, but I'll spare you that rant. What I want to say is that stereotypes, especially those about the Greek community, are merely generalizations fueled by entertainment and news media. Though there are stories, books and papers written about awful things that happen when Greeks are to blame, compare that to our track record at UW, and I'd say we've done pretty well. And, though it may be crazy for me to ask you to consider this: Greek or not, we're all Wisconsin Badgers (insert cheesy music here).
Mollie Shambeau (shambeau@wisc.edu) is a senior majoring in family and consumer journalism and retailing. She is also vice president of public relations and communications for the UW-Madison Panhellenic Association.
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 5:47am):
And here it is folks, the regularly scheduled whining letter from the greeks. Ohhhhh you poor, poor overpriviliged babies! I will pray for you.
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 7:20am):
"I could go on until I'm blue in the face about all the things the Greek community does to battle our sexuality stereotypes, but I'll spare you that rant."
The author really should address this. Isn't that the whole point of the article?
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 9:55am):
Mollie, we've seen the videos on Internet porn sites. You're all sluts and you know it!
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 11:08am):
Wait... no comments yet? Very well done, Mollie! - Janelle
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 2:38pm):
I would like to know why anyone would ever think being Greek is cool?
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 4:16pm):
Wow. 5:47am... you wake up that early --or perhaps you didn't go to bed-- to enlighten us with you opinions about Greek life? As a sorority member, I have to tell you - I'm touched!
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 4:31pm):
How someone (ahem, 9:55am) can type with their head up their ass is beyond me!
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 4:51pm):
And here it is folks, the regularly scheduled whining comments about how Greeks are all "overprivileged," alcoholic, nymphomaniacs. Ohh 5:47 am, I am so sorry you were FORCED to read this article.
Seriously, how many times do you sit in front of your computer, tapping refresh and hoping that an op-ed from a Greek student might appear so you can self-righteously pound out an unfounded, unoriginal stereotype and chuckle at your own misperceived originality. I guess whatever gets you through the day, but if that does the trick then it sucks to be you, 5:47. I will pray for you.
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 5:21pm):
"Sorostitute" is more derogatory than "slut" or "whore?"
That doesn't even make sense.
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 5:29pm):
Maybe if all Greeks didn't associate themselves and parallel their lives with all other Greeks they wouldn't be stereotyped less.
You don't see non-Greeks acting like this.
Once people in the Greek system start acting like individuals, they will be treated like such.
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 5:48pm):
4:16...you've probably been touched many, many times. What's your point?
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 8:57pm):
4:51 Guess that poster hit a little too close to home, huh? Sorry the truth hurts you so much but you'll feel better after you pay your house dues and stick your finger down your throat again.
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 9:52pm):
After four years of college and reading these op-ed articles I get it... Greeks do a lot for the community and it's unfair to stereotype them.
With that said, I bartend and serve a LOT of Greeks. I'm not pointing out individuals but as a VAST majority they all pay with mommy and daddy's credit card (overprivaleged) and I've had to watch waayyyy to many of them hook up whilst shiitfaced (sluts).
I, like every single person in college, enjoy sex but I feel that with the Greek community casual, no-strings-attached sex is far more common and accepted.
Anonymous (December 6, 2007 @ 10:02pm):
5:27, "they wouldn't be stereotyped less?" What does that even mean?
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