>> Sandra: AISHAH WITH THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT ON ALL OF THAT. NOW THIS. THE SORORITY AT THE CENTER OF A LAWSUIT OVER ADMITTING A BIOLOGICAL MALE APPEARS TO BE RETALIATING AGAINST ITS OWN MEMBERS. AN APPEALS COURT IS HEARING THE CASE FILED BY SIX KAPPA KAPPA
GAMMA SISTERS AGAINST THEIR CHAPTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING, THE LOWER COURT TOSSED THE CASE. THE SISTERS WANT THE HIGHER COURT TO DEFINE THE WORD WOMAN. ONE OF THE PLAINTIFFS ON THIS PROGRAM LAST WEEK EXPLAINING WHY SHE HAD TO ACT. >> THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF
DIFFERENT UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATIONS THAT HAVE MADE A LOT OF THE GIRLS REALLY NOT WANT TO EVEN BE IN THE HOUSE ANYMORE, MYSELF INCLUDED. YOU KNOW, GOING TO SHOWER WE HAVE COMMUNAL BATHROOMS AND SUPPOSED TO BE COMFORTABLE AND FEEL SAFE AND NOT WORRY ABOUT MEN BEING THERE.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TABLE IS TURNED ON US. >> Sandra: TWO LIFE LONG SORORITY MEMBERS SAY THEY HAVE BEEN BOOTED FOR SPEAKING OUT IN SUPPORT OF THEIR SISTERS. THE SORORITY ACCUSED THE WOMEN OF DISCRIMINATION SAYING THEY VIOLATED THE PURPOSES AND STANDARDS OF KKG.
PATSY AND CHERYL JOIN US NOW ALONG WITH THE ATTORNEY ON THE ORIGINAL CASE AND INDEPENDENT WOMEN’S LAW CENTER ATTORNEY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE WOMEN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS SINCE IT FIRST EMERGED THAT THIS HAPPENED.
STILL IN DISBELIEF, REALLY. NOW TO SEE A BATTLE OVER IT AND BEING REMOVED FROM THIS AFTER HALF A CENTURY IN IT. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO YOU? >> THAT’S A WONDERFUL QUESTION. WE HAVE WONDERED THE SAME THING. WHAT HAPPENED WAS WE DECIDED TO SPEAK OUT AND WHEN THE
PLAINTIFFS HAD TO DISCLOSE THEIR NAMES IN THE LAWSUIT AND THEY WERE SO BRAVE TO DO THAT, THE YOUNG WOMEN ON THE COLLEGE CAMPUS, I THOUGHT IF THEY CAN BE THAT BRAVE, SO CAN I. SO I SENT OUT LETTERS TO HUNDREDS OF ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS EXPLAINING WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN
LARAMIE, WYOMING. I WAS TOLD I COULDN’T DO THAT. >> Sandra: PATSY, WHERE DO YOU SIT IN ALL THIS? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO WOMEN? >> IT IS SO INTERESTING. I WAS SORT OF AT THEIR LEVEL ON THE FOUNDATION SIDE WORKING FOR YEARS AS A VOLUNTEER AND I
BECAME A VOLUNTEER IN 1970 AND HAVE VOLUNTEERED FOR ALL THOSE YEARS UNTIL 2013, 2012. AND IN THAT PROCESS, I MET KAPPAS ALL OVER THE NATION OF THE FOR ME TO CONNECT WITH THE KAPPAS I DIDN’T HAVE TO BREAK ANYBODY’S RULES TO DO THAT.
I HAD A KAPPA FRIENDS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND I RAISED A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE FOUNDATION AT ONE TIME. THEN TO HAVE THEM COME BACK AND REREACHED OUT. TRIED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION. NO CONVERSATION. AND KICKED ME OUT. I WAS SURPRISED.
I WAS QUITE SURPRISED THEY WENT THAT WAY. >> Sandra: MORE OF YOUR THOUGHTS IN A SECOND. IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE NOW WE HAVE A BATTLE OVER DEFINING THE WORD WOMAN. >> THAT’S AT THE HEART OF THE UNDERLYING LAWSUIT, WHICH IS THAT WOMAN IS NOW BEING DEFINED
BY KAPPA TO BE ITS OPPOSITE. THESE WOMEN ALONGSIDE 450 OTHER KAPPA ALUMNI FILED A BRIEF YESTERDAY IN THE UNDERLYING CASE AND THEY EXPLAINED THAT WOULD BE LIKE HIRING A PAINTER AND SAYING WILL YOU PLEASE PAINT MY HOUSEWIFE AND THE PAINTER PAINTS IT BLACK AND SAYS I IDENTIFY
THIS PAINT AS WHITE. WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT IN ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCE AND SHOULDN’T DO IT WITH WOMEN. WOMEN DESERVE TO HAVE SORORITIES, DESERVE TO HAVE SINGLE SEX SPACES AND BENEFICIAL FOR WOMEN THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. >> Sandra: HOW SHOULD IT BE HANDLED IN YOUR OPINION GOING
FORWARD WHEN OTHER SORORITIES COME UP AGAINST THIS AND HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS THEMSELVES? >> I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO IS MAKE PEOPLE AWARE THIS IS HAPPENING. SO MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE OF THE LANGUAGE THAT LEADERSHIP HAS
PUT IN THE POLICIES, NOT THE BY LAWS, BUT THE POLICIES, THAT WE DON’T DISCRIMINATE, WE TAKE WOMEN AND PEOPLE THAT IDENTIFY AS WOMEN. AND I THINK WE NEED TO EDUCATE PEOPLE THAT ARE WOMEN’S RIGHTS ARE BEING ERODED. >> Sandra: WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR
THOSE GIRLS WHO HAD TO LIVE THROUGH THIS AND SORT OF ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF HAVING TO SORT OF GET THROUGH THIS OR PIONEER THIS? >> THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. THAT WAS WHAT REALLY MOTIVATED ME. I HAVE TWO KAPPA DAUGHTERS, ONE
WAS A KAPPA AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. ONE A KAPPA AT WYOMING. SO WHEN I GOT WIND OF THIS HAPPENING, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE GOING DOWN TO STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO ANYWAY. WE JUMPED IN THE CAR AND SAID LET’S STOP IN LARAMIE AND SEE IF
WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THESE YOUNG WOMEN. AS SOON AS WE MET THEM, MY HUSBAND WAS THE FIRST TO SAY THESE ARE STELLAR YOUNG WOMEN AND WE NEED TO PROTECT THEIR LIVING SPACE. WE NEED TO PROTECT THEIR EXPERIENCE. I GREW IN LEADERSHIP, ACADEMIC,
MY ABILITIES TO DO THINGS WHEN I WAS A KAPPA. THE ONE THING I COULDN’T DO AS A YOUNG PERSON WAS ENTER INTO THE SPORTS WORLD BECAUSE THERE WASN’T TITLE IX. THERE IS A CARVE OUT TO HAVE A SINGLE SEX EXPERIENCE IN TITLE IX. WE FOUGHT THAT BATTLE AT HARVARD
AND WON AND KEPT THE SINGLE SEX SPACE. NOW WE ARE AT THE POINT WE HAVE TO REGAIN THAT GROUND AND WE WON’T QUIT UNTIL WE REGAIN THE GROUND. >> Sandra: GOD BLESS YOU FOR IT. FINAL THOUGHT FROM YOU. HOW HARD IT IS FOR AN 18, 19,
20, 21-YEAR-OLD GIRL TO SPEAK OUT. THEY KNOW THAT THEY WILL BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND CRITICIZED BY SOME. >> THESE ARE WOMEN WHO AT THE BEGINNING OF THEIR CAREERS AND KNOW THEY WILL HAVE TO GO TO FUTURE EMPLOYERS. THEY DON’T KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND
THEIR NAMES WILL BE OUT THERE. THIS IS EXTREMELY BRAVE. THEY WERE ABLE TO DO IT IN PART BECAUSE OF THE ALUMNI SUPPORT. WHAT KAPPA IS DOING IS THEY ARE PUNISHING ANYONE WHO SUPPORTS THESE PLAINTIFFS IN ORDER TO SQUASH DISSENT. IT’S A OPPOSITE OF THE POINT
THAT SORORITIES WERE TRYING TO DO. GIVE WOMEN LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND A VOICE. >> Sandra: WE’LL FOLLOW EVERY DETAIL. THANK YOU FOR COMING ON. >> WHAT I’M CONCERNED ABOUT IS I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE RETAIN SAFE SPACES FOR WOMEN. SO THAT THEY CAN FOCUS ON THEIR
EDUCATION AND FOCUS ON THEIR LEADERSHIP AND THANK YOU SO MUCH
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