Greek life is always in the media, and most of the time it is for something bad. But when the media only focuses on the bad aspects of Greek life, no one ever hears about the good. For example, joining a sorority or a fraternity does not mean you will be partying every night. Hazing has been cut down significantly and is now even considered against the law in certain states; the amount of philanthropy and service they do is amazing, but you won't hear about that on the news. And I highly doubt the news has covered the fact that in Dec. 2014, Sigma Phi Epsilon made history in the Greek community by being the first fraternity to welcome transgender members.

In the National Board of Directors Meeting Minutes of Dec. 5 and 6, CEO Brian C. Warren brought up the issue of inclusivity and the Board of Directors came up with:

“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.”

This motion passed by an 8-0 vote with three abstentions, officially making Sigma Phi Epsilon the first fraternity to welcome transgender members. Hopefully with SigEp being the first, other fraternities and sororities will follow in their footsteps to make Greek life even more LGBTQIA friendly. So the next time you think of Greek life as being wrong and stereotypical, think again because organizations like Sigma Phi Epsilon are here to show the world that we are not just negative.