I have seen quite a few people calling sororities sexist lately and as a member of the Greek community this is extremely upsetting to me. The very first sororities were created to bring about equality for women in the Greek system. Fraternities did not allow girls to become members; thus, women decided to create their own version of fraternities. Alpha Delta Pi was the first fraternity made up of entirely of women; the fraternity focused on fellowship and scholarship for women. It was also the very first secret society for women. This fraternity was starting something for women that was completely for themselves. It was also opening the door to a world that women had been excluded from for far too long.
The Greek system could have been considered sexist before this point because it only allowed for men to be involved. Kappa Alpha Theta was the first Greek letter fraternity exclusively for women. The founder of Kappa Alpha Theta, Bettie Locke, founded Theta because she wanted to join a fraternity at DePauw University, but wasn't allowed because she was female. They offered to let her be a "mascot", but she turned them down because to her that wasn't good enough. This inspired her to create Theta because she believed that women should be allowed the same privileges in the Greek system that men had. Sororities were not created to be sexist; they were created because some strong women believed that they shouldn't be excluded just because of their gender. Women all on their own have built sororities into what they are today just like men built up fraternities. It shows that women are just as capable as men to create a success organization.
At this point, people may say that the sexist part of fraternities and sororities now is they don't allow both sexes and/or genders to be a part of it. That if they aren't co-ed then they aren't equal. They aren't addressing the real issue though. When sororities were first created, they stood for equality. They were a sign that an all-female organization could strive just as well as an all-male one could. Sororities were established on the idea that women are strong, and independent. There is a misconception that most sorority girls are only looking for their MRS degree but this couldn't be further from the truth. Sororities are about female empowerment and lifting each other up. It's about a sisterhood that lasts for a lifetime. It's knowing that no matter what, you have other girls who will support you, take care of you, and always have your back. This isn't something that can be maintained with a coed Greek system. Women created something for themselves that shouldn't be degraded or devalued by people who don't understand it. However, if the members of sororities or fraternities want to make a change, more power to them. In the end, it is their choice.
As you've probably heard people in the Greek system say, "From the outside looking in, you can never understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it." ~ Unknown
