Fraternities and Sororities

Fraternities and sororities are typically single-sex social organizations on college campuses. They are important in the LGBTQ context because they serve as formally organized sites where gender and sexuality are visible, serve as membership markers, and are reproduced. Traditional fraternities and sororities tend to both reinforce the gender binary and expect heterosexuality from their members. This entry discusses the critiques of traditional fraternities and sororities, the development and practices of a gay fraternity and lesbian sororities, as well as the benefits and challenges of LGBTQ membership in traditional fraternities and sororities.