From Caitlyn Jenner’s publication announcement and transformation, to Laverne Cox’s historic Emmy nomination and wax figure at Madame Tussauds, transgender rights have been championed successfully over the past year. Despite these victories, transgender people still face a myriad of obstacles in their daily lives and in attaining full and unequivocal inclusion and equality. It seems one of the smaller and less recognizable obstacles is on its way out.

The Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity announced on Sunday that at its National Board of Directors meeting in December that it had opened its membership to transgender males.

The following motion was put before them, according to the minutes from the meeting:

“’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.’”

The motion was approved by an 8-0 vote.

This new policy is monumental in the fraternity world. SigEp is the first non-LGBTQ+ fraternity to welcome transgender males into their brotherhood. Fraternities have long made their name on their exclusivity and that exclusivity should continue to exist. Every fraternity wants the best men to carry on its legacy. But they should be inclusive in their exclusivity. The best men aren’t always rich, straight, white guys. “Best” comes in many different forms. With this new bylaw, SigEp is saying that it knows the best of men weren’t always born male. That they had to struggle with presenting a different person than people thought they knew, even though the person on the inside has always been the same.

One of the recurring policies in campus LGBTQ+ communities is to create safe zones for out, closeted, and questioning students. Safe zones are places and environments where a student can feel comfortable being honest and true. A fraternity should be a safe zone. A brotherhood should be a safe zone, regardless of your race, religion, sexual orientation, and, now, gender identity. If you can trust a brother and call him a friend, what difference do these qualities make?

SigEp has taken the first step. Now it’s time for every other fraternity, including my own, to follow in its footsteps.