A sorority has defended its decision to remove a non-binary member from a chapter at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, prompting the student to come forward with their story.
Earlier this week, Fabián (Fa) Guzmán, a non-binary person who was previously a member of the Chi Omega sorority at St. Lawrence University, created a Change.org petition detailing why their membership was voided due to specific gender criteria.
In a statement, the Chi Omega National Organization told Newsweek: "In accordance with our governing documents, Chi Omega's Executive Headquarters recently made the decision to void the membership of an Epsilon Kappa Chapter member at St. Lawrence University. By their own admission, this individual did not meet the criteria for membership at the time of joining."
The news of Guzmán's voided membership comes as members of the LGBTQ+ community continue to face criticism from those who disagree with their sexual preferences and gender identities. Popular brands like Bud Light and The North Face have faced backlash and calls for boycotts over partnerships with transgender people.
In the change.org petition, Guzmán said that they were initially allowed to join the sorority "due to the National organizations opening the term 'women' up to interpretation instead of 'sex assigned at birth,' which had traditionally been used."
Guzmán told Newsweek that prior to joining the sorority, they were going through a "very low mental health time," and the Chi Omega sisters gave them emotional support, which eventually led to them rushing the sorority.
Earlier this year, Guzmán said in the petition, St. Lawrence University wanted to publish a story about them being the first non-binary person to join the Chi Omega sorority at the school. The story allegedly prompted questions from the Chi Omega national headquarters, which told Guzmán they'd void their membership if the story went public, Guzmán said.
According to Guzmán, the CEO of the Chi Omega national headquarters later said that the membership would be voided regardless of the story, without the ability to appeal.
In the petition, Guzmán also included a response they received from the Chi Omega national organization which said, "The selection criteria in the policy on membership includes 'females and individuals identifying as women,' which, by the chapter's own understanding and your indication through the process, it is clear you did not meet the criteria at the time of joining."
The Chi Omega national organization told Newsweek on Wednesday that members in the sorority are allowed to offer changes to the governing documents and noted that the specific chapter at St. Lawrence University has been advised on how to propose a change.
In a statement to Newsweek, St. Lawrence University applauded Guzmán's record at the school, where they are a first-generation honors student as well as the president-elect of the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society.
"This issue is one that we understand the campus chapter's leadership is navigating with the national Chi Omega organization. St. Lawrence University supports the identity of every student, and our Student Life team is here for all of our students grappling with issues of inclusion and belonging," the statement said.
Guzmán told Newsweek that members of the Chi Omega chapter at St. Lawrence University are already working on bringing new proposals to the convention, which is set to take place in 2024. In the short term, Guzmán said that they hope the petition gives more attention to the issue and prompts the national organization to reverse the decision to void their membership.
Overall, Guzmán said that non-binary and transgender individuals are not "trying to invade women-only safe spaces."
"We are not trying to make Greek life co-ed," Guzmán told Newsweek. "What we are trying to do is be able to belong and feel included in an organization where our identities are validated and aligned."
