Sorority sues over admission of trans woman who got ‘aroused in their company’
A group of sorority sisters have filed a lawsuit against the national sorority organisation after a trans woman was granted permission to move into their sorority house.
Seven members of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at the University of Wyoming have called on a judge to declare the membership of 21-year-old Artemis Langford void and to award unspecified damages, according to the lawsuit obtained by Cowboy StateDaily.
One of the members has asked the sorority management to ensure that the house is preserved as a “female only” safe space, and a number of members raised concerns about shared bathroom facilities which have no locks.
The lawsuit states: “An adult human male does not become a woman just because he tells others that he has a female ‘gender identity’ and behaves in what he believes to be a stereotypically female manner.”
Ms Langford, who is 6ft 2in, does not currently live in the house, but according to the residents has spent a “significant” amount of time there and has been granted permission to move in from September.
The women who have filed the lawsuit have claimed that Ms Langford has been visibly aroused in their company, and some of the sorority members told Megyn Kelly’s podcast that residents felt “uncomfortable” and “in constant fear” in the house when she was present.
One of the sorority members, Hannah, told Kelly: “Men are never allowed on the second floor of our house apart from moving in and moving out.
“So it is an only-female space and not like living in the dorms. We share just a couple of main bathrooms but it is supposed to be a safe space for us to rest our head at night.”
Another member, Jaylyn, added: “All of the bathrooms are shared spaces and there are no private changing areas or locks. It’s very open and vulnerable.”
The lawsuit alleges that the fraternity council “betrayed the central purpose and mission of Kappa Kappa Gamma by conflating the experience of being a woman with the experience of men engaging in behaviour generally associated with women”.
The sorority had held a vote on whether Ms Langford should be admitted, but several members claimed that the president and membership chair of the chapter dismissed their concerns.
The opponents to Ms Langford’s admission were allegedly told by another member of the sorority: “Regardless of what your political views are, our Kappa values are acceptance and kindness so if that is something that you disagree with, that’s not in line with Kappa values.”
The leadership of the sorority reportedly told members that if they have any issues with Ms Langford then they can “drop out”.
One member of the sorority told The National Review magazine that she might transfer out of the school next semester as a result.
The women told the podcast that they understood that trans women need to be protected and have their own safe space, but argue that trans women such as Ms Langford moving into their home is not the answer.
