“I realized I was bisexual during my sophomore year of high school. Growing up in an area that was inclusive and accepting of others helped me not be afraid to be myself. However, my personal fears made me believe that my friends would treat me differently once I told them. I was scared that they would change how they acted or how they spoke to me, even though nothing had really changed. Imagine my relief when my true self was welcomed with open arms.

 

Then, I went to college. I was out and proud and ready to take on the world. Then, I signed up for primary recruitment and new fears took root in my head. Was I going to be rejected? Would I be judged? What did it mean to be part of the LGBTQ+ community and the Panhellenic community? Were any of these women in the same boat I was?

 

I wasn’t, and still am not, someone who shouts my sexuality from the rooftops, but that still doesn’t make it any less part of who I am. I wanted to be welcomed by these women I’ve never met before just as much as my friends in high school. I wanted to find the line of being accepted for who I was while being pushed to grow and be a better person at the same time, and I was pleasantly surprised when I found a sorority that immediately made me, all of me, feel welcome. Spoiler alert, that sorority was Alpha Sigma Alpha.

 

Before finding my home, I was worried that the LGBTQ+ community and the Greek community were mutually exclusive. After finding Alpha Sigma Alpha, I was thrilled to realize that they not only welcomed each other but celebrated to expand each other. There is no one type of “sorority girl” just like there’s no one type of “being gay” or “being bi” or being any member of the LGBTQ+ community; the very being of sororities is intended to be intersectional and celebrate the inclusion of women from all paths of life.

 

I was able to find my best friends in my chapter, and we all helped each other become the best versions of ourselves. I have sisters that are lesbian, bisexual, transgender, asexual and pansexual, and I feel so grateful that I was able to experience the beautiful overlaps with all communities.

 

To me, the existence of an inclusive sorority experience is vital for the growth and expansion of our chapters and our members. We are looking toward the future where more and more women can be their authentic selves all the time, which is exactly what we look for when creating these bonds of sisterhood. Someone’s sexual preference or gender identity does not prohibit them from entering Greek Life, it creates a new lens to look at life with while establishing bonds that could have never been there before.”