Fraternities are often portrayed by media outlets as the worst organizations in the world. Generally speaking, the media would like you to believe that fraternities are full of misogynistic, racist, and overall horrible men. While this is not necessarily true, fraternities have an awful lot of ground to make up before the media starts writing about them in a more positive light.

Sigma Phi Epsilon, a national fraternity, made up some of this ground when their executive board voted to extend membership to transgender men. The following policy was voted on and passed 8-0 with three abstentions:

“Sigma Phi Epsilon is a national Fraternity built on the brotherhood and fellowship of men. Any individual who identifies as a man is welcome to seek membership in the Fraternity. This policy is intended to uphold the mission of Sigma Phi Epsilon as a fellowship of men and should not be interpreted as changing the all-male character of the Fraternity or as a waiver of the Fraternity’s exempt status under Title IX.”

You go, SigEp. Who knows how long this will take to be fully enacted, and who knows if other fraternities (and even sororities!) will ever follow suit, but SigEp just made huge strides in transgender equality.

I hope, with this decision, that the transgender community starts to feel welcome and at home in this organization and culture.