Single-gender organizations play important campus role

Last spring, Harvard University imposed sanctions on single-gender clubs and traditional fraternities. And for fall 2017 semester, students who join gender-segregated sororities or fraternities on campus will not be allowed to lead organizations or sports teams. Additionally, they will not be eligible for letters of recommendation from the dean of Harvard University for postgraduate opportunities.

While Harvard’s new policy hopes to promote inclusivity, by undermining the critical role that some single-gender groups or identity-based clubs have, this policy could be counterproductive. The purpose of clubs is to give individuals a place where they feel like they belong and identify with their fellow members.

“We have long held that a student’s socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, race or religion should not bar participation in our rush process,” Jake Aschert of Harvard University’s Alpha Epilson Pi chapter wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post. “To keep with these values, we recognized that our group had to change so that a student’s gender would no longer stand in the way either.”

Ascher added, “We believe gender is trivial to experiencing the positive aspects of a greek organization, or the specific benefits and traditions of our chapter.”

When joining clubs, individuals seek to connect with and befriend those who share their interests or identity features. Clubs are exclusionary by principle. Unrelated to gender, homogenous groups such as black fraternities, sexual assault survivor groups, religious groups, LGBT groups or women’s advocacy organizations can have the effect of offering marginalized identities the spaces they need to be understood and respected, and ultimately allow underrepresented groups to represent themselves.

It is true that over time, some traditions of greek life and gender-segregated groups have become dated and perpetuate sexism. However, fraternities, sororities and single-gender greek organizations provide spaces for young women and men to experience sisterhood or brotherhood. Sanctions to address inclusivity and combat discrimination and intolerance toward gender-nonconforming or transgender individuals are much needed, but groups that are meant to give a space solely to a single identity group have crucial value to individuals of the identity group.

Banning single-gender societies does not promote feminism. Students should have the option to choose to join societies and organizations of people they relate and connect with, and people they feel safe associating with.

Additionally, for young women who may be frustrated with their experiences with sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, the sisterhood they find in sororities can be empowering. It is also worth noting that fraternities and sororities do not exclude as a matter of sexism, but in order to adhere to policies set forth by the Interfraternity Council and the Panhellenic Council.

Ascher also stated in his op-ed that his fraternity’s “internal discussions led [them] to the conclusion that [their] chapter’s male-only nature was not its defining characteristic.”

“We have always placed far more emphasis on being a supportive and welcoming community than an all-male one,” Ascher said.

In the case of Ascher and his fraternity, the inclusion of female students into the Jewish fraternity could certainly have benefits. But young women who would rather join single-gender women’s groups where they feel included, represented and able to experience sisterhood deserve to have this option as well.

The idea that single-gender or identity-specific groups must be allowed to exist does not necessitate that gender and identity-inclusive groups be prohibited. Inclusive and heterogeneous groups must be allowed and encouraged — and these groups can be encouraged without prohibiting niche identity groups, and punishing and denying autonomy to individuals seeking safe spaces and representation.