An MSU fraternity faces a greek system hearing today in the system’s first charge regarding its anti-discrimination policy, after some members wore specially made shirts last week mocking gay men while at the Mason and Abbot halls cafeterias.
Pi Kappa Phi fraternity’s case could yield the system’s first suspension in the past 15 years.
Witnesses said several members of the fraternity wore pink, sleeveless T-shirts to the cafeterias April 1 and April 2 that had phrases such as “I like little boys,” “Capt. Gay Sex” and “Fag Hairstylist” written on the back.
“I thought it was almost like a practical joke that someone would have the nerve to come into our cafeteria with something like that,” said Doug Copeland, president of Respecting Individuality on Neutral Ground, or RING, the lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender and straight ally caucus for North Complex.
The greek system will determine whether the chapter, located at 131 Bogue St., violated MSU’s anti-discrimination policy and the anti-hazing portion of the Greek Risk Managment Policy with the incident.
“It’s obviously pretty ridiculous,” said Ebon Pinson, a human resource management junior and a member of RING. “It’s just an example of how society in general just does not care about homophobia and to make a negative stereotype about LBGT people is OK.”
But the fraternity’s president, Murat Bashelvaci, said fraternity members didn’t want to harm anyone and apologized for their actions.
“I feel that is important for the chapter to learn more about issues of difference,” he said. “We are going to have a sincere educational meeting, and we are willing to work with anyone else who wants to learn along with us.”
A greek panel of three fraternity presidents and two sorority presidents will hear the case in a closed meeting today. The group could move to punish the fraternity, which could include suspension; require educational activities, such as programming or community service; or both.
“The greek system does not support discrimination and we don’t want to offend people,” Interfraternity Council President Paul Hage said. “We need to take great strides to educate all of the members of this campus as a whole on LBGT issues.”
Sunday marks the end of Greek Week for the 29 fraternities and the 15 sororities of the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils, and the LBGT community is celebrating Pride Week this week.
“It was just last year with Greek Week that the kickoff event for both Pride Week and Greek Week was an educational speaker on issues of indifference and issues of intolerance,” said Greek Life Director Billy Molasso, referring to a visit by Judy Shepard, the mother of a gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, who was beaten to death in a 1998 hate crime.
“We have some relationships that need to grow and strengthen and they need to grow and strengthen among the membership as opposed to the leadership.”
Copeland said he is concerned the greek system will get a bad reputation from the incident.
“My biggest concern is that it will be an us-against-them thing,” he said. “The educational discussions that we are going to have may help, and even if they don’t take it seriously there are some messages that we are going to get across.”
Kendra Snyder can be reached snyderk6@msu.edu.
