Inclusivity statement
The MIT Panhellenic Association is dedicated to the advancement of womanhood. We affirm the worth and dignity of every member of our organizations and respect that our membership reflects a variety of perspectives and a wide range of lived experiences. It has been our practice to be inclusive of all individuals regardless of race, age, ethnicity, nationality, ability, sexual orientation, marital status, religious affiliation, and socioeconomic status. We celebrate the varied voices this policy has brought us and recognize the intrinsic value of diversity.
In order to stay true to these values and respect the fact that the National Panhellenic Conference and MIT do not and cannot govern the membership selection processes of individual national chapter organizations, we would like to provide clarification about the practices regarding the inclusion of individuals of diverse gender identities:
Women will always be considered; this is inclusive of cisgender women and transgender women.
Identities that will not be considered regardless of belief in womanhood are cisgender and transgender men.
Resources are available for nonbinary, gender nonconforming, or agender individuals to learn more about their options for membership eligibility. Please email panhel-exec@mit.edu with questions, and see the resources section of this document.
No member is required to provide documentation regarding their gender. We welcome all as they self-identify. Additionally, all gender expressions (distinct from gender identity) of individuals extended membership are welcome in MIT Panhellenic.
Definitions
We demonstrate our commitment to the advancement of womanhood by offering the following definitions, ensuring that our interested members, current members, and lifelong members understand the language we use and hold us accountable to our progress.
Cisgender: a person whose sex designated at birth and gender identity align. An example of this is a person designated male at birth that identifies as a man.
Transgender: a person whose sex designated at birth and gender identity do not align. This may include men, women, and nonbinary people. An example of this is a person designated female at birth that identifies as a man.
Nonbinary (gender nonconforming, agender): An adjective describing a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or as falling completely outside these categories. Non-binary can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bigender, genderqueer or gender-fluid.
Gender Identity: a person’s self-determined identity related to the concepts of man and woman, which may or may not align with either concept. Examples of gender identities include man, woman, nonbinary, and agender.
Gender Expression: the way in which a person expresses their gender identity, typically through their appearance, dress, and behavior. A person’s gender expression may be masculine, feminine, and/or androgynous.
Resources
The MIT Panhellenic Association is guided and aided by the following on-campus organizations and offices. Please contact panhel-exec@mit.edu or any of these other resources if you, or a friend, need additional support.
Brad Badgley, Director of FSILGs: bbadgley@mit.edu
Jessica Morris, Panhellenic Advisor: morris_j@mit.edu
MIT Nondiscrimination Policy: http://handbook.mit.edu/nondiscrimination
LBGT@MIT: lbgt.mit.edu
Trans@MIT: trans.mit.ed