In what seems like a never-ending series of bad media coverage, the saga continues for Greek life. Following the wake of the controversies that spiraled out of the UVA missing student, Hannah Graham, and the now unreliable Rolling Stone article, National Panhellenic Council at The University of Virginia declared a ban on fraternity parties on Bid Day.
The 16 sorority national offices represented at UVA stood united in their stand against fraternity parties on Saturday, Jan. 31. The idea was to promote a positive change in Greek life in response to the many allegations of rape and sexual harassment. Although none of the national offices would comment on the ban or officially state a reason for the crackdown, it appears to be a public statement of opposition against the inappropriate behavior reported in the media that’s known to occur at fraternity events.
But what kind of message does the ban really suggest? By prohibiting sorority women from going to parties, it only perpetuates the double standard that is far too familiar in every woman’s life. The fraternities get a slap on the wrist and a finger wag, while sororities get essentially punished. It reminds me of parents forbidding their kids from going to parties…and somehow that kid ends up sneaking off to get drunk at the party anyway.
Moreover, not all fraternity men are sexist, chauvinistic a$$holes. And not all sorority women are psycho feminist, hypocritical bet¢hes. Not to say that you won’t meet a handful of those—but you can find those inside and outside Greek life.
Forbidding sororities from attending the fraternity Bid Day parties makes women seem like frail individuals who need protection and men seem like they can’t control their deeply rooted impulse to sexually abuse. Clearly, all of that is simply untrue. Although the motivations and intentions are true and upstanding, a party ban is no solution to the problem. It’s a problem in and of itself. What needs to change is the perspective and way we think as society.
Gender inequality is not a new issue by any means. It’s all over the globe in the most obscene and subtle ways possible. It’s both rooted in the culture and it’s socially constructed.
Maybe we’re just looking at it all wrong. Instead of placing blame on the victim or endorsing stereotypes of both genders, we need to change the way we think. Although not an easy task, the issue is buried far deeper than the actions that go on during parties.
Hey, sororities throwing their own parties may not be such a bad idea after all. But that’s just food for thought.
