Through a majority vote, the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha becomes the second black fraternity to bar trans people from joining the organization. According to drafts obtained by GLAAD, the fraternity amended its bylaws, limiting membership to “any male defined as a human being naturally born male who remains and continually identifies as a male.”
The National Black Justice Coalition, founded in 2003, is dedicated to empowering LGBTQ+ black people. Its mission is to “end racism, homophobia, and LGBTQ+/SGL bias and stigma.” The NBCJ’s CEO and Executive Director, Dr. David J. Johns, released a statement saying:
“NBKC condemns the proposal by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to ban transgender members. These proposed policies are not only discriminatory and exclusionary but also an infringement on basic human rights of those who simply want the freedom to be who they are.”
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first intercollegiate fraternity founded by African American men. The fraternity has a membership of between two and four million nationwide and has become a pillar of cultural change, promoting the inclusion of African Americans in Greek life and culture. The NBJC finds this new rule contradictory to the fraternity’s values of inclusivity, equality, and love for all mankind.
This decision from Alpha Phi Alpha follows fellow African American fraternity Phi Beta Sigma, which made the change in 2017. According to GLAAD, despite the majority vote, many members of the fraternity disapprove of the outcome. Most of the general body and alumni leadership have more progressive values, while some older and more traditional leadership took the opposite side.
The decision to limit membership only adds to the homophobia and transphobia present in many of these institutions. That said, there are many accepting and even LGBTQ+ fraternities and sororities that champion inclusion and acceptance. Alpha Phi Alpha’s new amendment is transphobic and dated. Fraternities, sororities, and campus organizations should be open and accepting of everyone, including LGBTQ+ people.
