Stony Brook students are trying to bring an all-inclusive Greek-lettered service organization dedicated to the LGBTQ community and its allies on campus, called a diaternity.
Neither a fraternity nor a sorority, the organization will be inclusive to all genders, sexualities and races, said its main organizer Annalisa Myer, a sophomore psychology and political science double major.
“I think it’s a good place to start it at Stony Brook because we have been making great strides in terms of increasing awareness and giving students more options,” Myer said.
Myer went on a Washington D.C. conference with the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance over spring break, and said she was inspired by another university’s organization that was also all-inclusive. Myer said she’s trying to start a chapter of an existing diaternity, but didn’t disclose the name because she’s still in the process of making the organization recognized at Stony Brook.
Assistant Director for Fraternity & Sorority Life Samantha Thompson and LGBTQ* Services on campus could not comment in time for publication.
“I’ve thought about joining Greek life on campus before, but, in particular, I didn’t feel like those spaces were good for someone like me,” Myer said.
As someone who identifies as a lesbian, Myer said she could relate to students who had to choose between a fraternity and a sorority. She said what she wants is a more welcoming organization for all students, including people who are non-binary or gender non-conforming.
Kaitlyn Compitello, a junior biochemistry, and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies double major, said they found out about the organization through a Facebook interest meeting post by Myer, and jumped on board to help set up the organization as much as they can.
“It’s actually something I wished we had for awhile because I feel like Greek life is so gendered,” Compitello said. “You can join a frat or a sorority, but, you know, there’s nothing really for anyone that falls in between.”
During one of the interest meetings, Jocelyn Adams, a junior biology major and a member of Epsilon Sigma Phi Sorority, Inc., said she and a few other members came out to support the new Greek life organization and collaborate to help build their chapter here at Stony Brook University.
As a member of one of the few Greek life organizations on campus that advocates for diversity, “it’s important to really get people from all different walks of life, so that you can learn from them and promote diversity,” Adams said. “But those same issues aren’t always applied when it comes to sexual orientation and LGBTQ rights. So, we hope this is going to be even more inclusive than we are.”
