1st Trans Greek Life Pres

I am a Founding Mother of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter at the University of Cincinnati. This means that two years ago, in October of 2016, I was brought together with eight Jewish women to create the only Jewish sorority on UC’s campus. I was so proud of the fact that I was involved in making a lasting community for Jewish women, and so happy with the strong women I was doing it with.

A lot has changed in those two years. I’ve come out as trans non-binary and started publicly using they/they pronouns and a different name. I knew when I decided to come out that being a part of a sorority might present some challenges. It’s a traditionally feminine and female oriented space, and I knew that by staying involved I was accepting that expectation.

I did not realize that when I decided to come out, it would send a ripple throughout the community. Last summer, the National Board wrote new policy in the organization to explicitly include transgender women, gender non-conforming and non-binary individuals in their inclusion policies. They wrote new material to say that as an organization, they support and accept trans people being engaged.

When I was told those changes would be made, I started to cry. A community I had put my soul into was giving back to members like me by not only allowing us to be involved, but by explicitly making sure that every other trans person could not be excluded or discriminated against within the sorority. It made me feel so validated and perceived for who I was.

One week ago, I was elected president of the SAEPi Kappa Colony.

As far as I know I am not only the first openly trans Chapter President within SAEPi, but across all of UC Campus I am the first openly trans and non-binary Greek Life Chapter President, and possibly in the entire country.  The feeling that I could be put in a category with someone like Danica Roem, or Andrea Jenkins, (who were the first trans people elected in government positions) is absolutely mindblowing. I can’t entirely comprehend the impact I could be having.

I have never been good at being in a spotlight, or taking compliments, or thinking that I could be making a positive influence on someone else’s life simply by living mine. I strive to be someone that can be looked up to, but not because I want someone to tell me I’m a role model, but because I feel that I simply should exist like that. There is a dissonance in my mind because I know the intense impact of my election as a trans person, and at the same time I don’t really feel like I have done anything that could be considered impressive.

With all of that, I really just want to make sure I am a good president, and doing what I can to make sure that I am strengthening my sorority and expanding our presence as a place for Jewish women and gender-nonconforming people.

I really hope that my election signals to other Greek Life that trans* inclusion is so important and can make a huge impact on the lives of trans people. I don’t want this monumental step for Greek Life to be taken lightly.