Two sororities allow same-sex dates at parties.

Molly Mullen Editor-in-Chief	October 03, 2009

Two roommates put on their best beach party outfits: summer dresses, leis and flip flops. They boarded a bus and entered Pi Beta Phi’s date party at the sand volleyball court in Council Bluffs. Legal drinkers enjoyed a few beers and friends danced with boyfriends, roommates and one another all night.

So what makes this different that any other Greek date party? Lannea Schroeder, Arts & Sciences junior, brought her roommate, another woman to the party.

Two of Creighton’s five sororities now have written policies that allow women to bring other women to the date parties.

Pi Beta Phi was the most recent sorority to write a policy on same-sex dates.

Rachel Spangler, Pi Beta Phi’s president, said it just made sense.

“We just felt like we couldn’t find a good reason not to change the policy,” she said. “None of us had any issue with it. It just seemed like we were closing doors that didn’t necessarily need to be closed.”

So far, everyone has been receptive to the new change.

“For our first party, I saw girls bring their roommates or friends,” Spangler said. “It hasn’t had much to do with sexual orientation, but the policy makes room for people of all orientations to have fun and be involved.”

Abby Coleman, president of the Delta Zeta sorority, agreed that date parties are a time to unwind with friends. Still, her sorority doesn’t allow its sisters to bring other women, unless they are a member of another chapter of Delta Zeta somewhere else in the country.

“If we had a lesbian in the sorority who wanted to bring her girlfriend, that would be something we would deal with on an individual basis,” she said.

Still, in the four years she has been in the sorority, she can never remember it being an issue.

One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she left a sorority for a number of reasons, including what she considered to be a lack of all-inclusive policies. Date parties, while considered to be fun and relaxing by some, can be nerve-racking for others, she said.

She was uncomfortable with the idea of coming out to her sorority and doesn’t think other women should have to be made uncomfortable for their sexuality in sorority life.

“Date parties are bumping and grinding and drinking,” she said. “It has a definite sexual undertone, and if a homosexual person doesn’t feel comfortable and doesn’t participate, then they are the only ones, and they are considered different.

“Not being allowed to bring women to a date party only perpetuates being forced to stay in the closet,” she said. “How can women feel comfortable coming out if they aren’t even allowed to bring a female to a social event with their sisters?”

While this source applauds Pi Beta Phi’s written policy change, she said all sororities should make it known to new recruits that all people are accepted. Otherwise, she said students who are not heterosexual could feel excluded and choose not to join.

“Greeks would be missing out on some amazing people,” she said. “I definitely think this is a much bigger issue than Greeks want to admit.”

In the case of Delta Zeta, where a woman who wanted to bring another woman because they were in a relationship, she said that puts too much pressure on the individual woman.

“Why are we leaving it up to these women to fight against it? Why can’t we all decide to change it for everyone?” she said.

While Pi Beta Phi made the switch over this year, Kappa Kappa Gamma was the first sorority on campus to allow same-gendered couples to register for these parties. They have been a sorority on campus since 2005, and Kappa president Sarah Roszhart said the policy is always “bring who you want and have a good time.

“A lot of times a girl’s boyfriend is busy or they just want to bring a girl,” Roszhart said. “We don’t want to force anyone to bring a guy.”

Kappa sorority sisters have always enjoyed having an open option, Roszhart said.

When she was a freshman, Kappa’s first date party was held when all of her male friends were going through recruitment and were not allowed to go to any sorority events, so Roszhart brought her roommate.

“It’s just relaxed and casual when you can go with a friend,” Roszhart said.

Emily Jewell, president of Theta Phi Alpha, remembers when she heard about Pi Phi changing its policy on date parties.

“I was sitting in the library with some other girls from the sorority, and they asked me if we had a policy like that,” Jewell said. “We never really thought that we needed a written policy about it. Girls just bring whoever they want,” but she can never recall a woman registering a roommate or girlfriend up for a Theta Phi party.