PAGE 20 T Q-Notes T April 28, 2001
Dance
Film
Literature
UNCC staff member co-edits book
on college sororities’ secret issues
between the covers
College survival
Secret Sisters: Stories of Being Lesbian and
Bisexual in a College Sorority
by Pamela Freeman and
Shane Windmeyer, editors
Alyson Publications
April, 2001 $13.95 paper
by Dan Cullinane
Special to Q-Notes
LOS ANGELES — Secret Sisters: Stories of Being
Lesbian and Bisexual in a College Sorority, from Alyson
Publications, is a powerful collection of voices seek
ing tolerance and acceptance of diversity within the
sorority system by the editors of the best-selling Out
on Fraternity Row, one of whom is a Carolinian.
“Powerful...sad...true...thought-provoking. Se
cret Sisters contains excellent resources on how to
promote greater tolerance of diversity within the
Greek community. A must read for any professional
“This volume is an important one,
because it teaches, in the most intimate
way possible, the complex lessons of
embrace and rejection of sisters.
Lesbians do not want to be 'accepted.'
We want to be, and to have, sisters. As
with ail love, the greatest enemy of that
goal is fear."
—Sheila Kuehl, first out GLBT member of
the California legislature, and a sorority
sister (from the foreword)
have turned their atten
tion to college sororities
and the traditionally
homophobic and
heterosexist atmosphere
they engender. This an
thology, resulting from
the work of the nation
ally known organiza
tion the Lambda 10
Project, presents the
first-person accounts of
25 women — accounts
of pain and isolation re
sulting from being les
bian or bisexual inside
the very organizations
which are designed to
promote belonging,
community, and sister
hood.
To further enhance
this books value, the edi
Secret Sisters
lets us hear and
feel silence,
isolation and
secrecy in
places where
sisterhood
should be
paramount
who works with sororities and fraternities on a col
lege campus,” says Jennifer Jones-Hall, former presi
dent of the Association of Fraternity Advisors
In Out on Fraternity Row, editors Shane
Windmeyer and Pamela Freeman shattered the si
lence of gay men in college fraternities. Now they
tors have included information on organizations and
resources designed to promote greater tolerance of
diversity within the college Greek system, but Secret
Sisters also stands as a powerful and courageous col
lective effort to gain greater understanding within
sororities of the true nature of sisterhood.
Shane L. Windmeyer is a Masters graduate in
higher education and student affairs administra
tion, and currently serves as the assistant director
of student activities at the University of North
Carolina at Charlotte.
Pamela W Freeman is the assistant dean of stu
dents and director of the office of student ethics
and anti-harassment programs at Indiana Univer
sity in Bloomington.
The editors worked together to create and con
tinue to coordinate the Lambda 10 Project, a na
tional clearinghouse for gay, lesbian and bisexual
issues in the college Greek system. Together they
also edited Out on Fraternity Row, the first book
to address GLB issues in college fraternities. T
by Sam Nixon
Special to Q-Notes
CHARLOTTE—Shane L. Windmeyer, as
sistant director of student activities at UNC
Charlotte, is co-editor of a new book that
chronicles the lives of lesbian and bisexual mem
bers of college sororities.
The book. Secret Sisters: Stories of Being Les
bian and Bisexual in a College Sorority, was ed
ited by Windmeyer and Pamela L. Freeman,
associate dean of students and director of the
Office of Student Ethics and
Antiharassment Programs at
Indiana University. It is a fol
low-up to their first book.
Out on Fraternity Row: Per
sonal Accounts of Being Gay in
a College Fraternity.
After shattering the silence
of gay men in fraternities with
Out on Fraternity Row,
Windmeyer and Freeman
have now turned their atten
tion to sororities. Secret Sis
ters presents the first-person
accounts of 32 women, who
relate stories of pain and iso
lation resulting from being lesbian or bisexual
within organizations with the stated purpose
of promoting a sense of community and sister
hood. Like Out on Fraternity Row, the new book
is a powerful collection of voices seeking toler
ance and acceptance of diversity.
Both books are the products of the Lambda
10 Project, which is a national clearinghouse
for gay, lesbian and bisexual issues as they re
late to fraternities and sororities.
Windmeyer’s interest in these issues is an
outgrowth of his own experience as a fraternity
member at his alma mater of Emporia State
University. As a gay member of Phi Delta Theta
fraternity, he dealt with many of the same is-
Theatre
Shane L. Windmeyer
sues that the writers in Out on Fraternity Row
and Secret Sisters faced. Ultimately, he chose to
acknowledge his homosexuality to his frater
nity and recalls that coming out as one of his
most rewarding undergraduate experiences.
“Both of these books are designed to give a
voice to people who have been silenced by
prejudice and fear for too long,” Windmeyer
said. “I hope that the books will provide others
living in silence the courage and support to
speak out, and that the books also will help fos
ter the true spirit of brother
hood and sisterhood among
all members of fraternities
and sororities regardless of
sexual orientation.”
Windmeyer, who found
ed and coordinates Lambda
10, has become one of the
nation’s foremost educators
on sexual orientation and fra
ternities and sororities. He
has been a guest speaker on
more than 60 college cam
puses since the release of Out
on Fraternity Row and has
made presentations on his
work at numerous educa
tional conferences. Windmeyer also was fea
tured on the PBS series In the Life and has been
the subject of stories in a number of national
publications, including The New York T/werand
The Chronicle of Higher Education,
Secret Sisters also includes a chapter on “Cre
ating a Greek Safe Zone Ally Program” by
Regina Young Hyatt, also an assistant director
of student activities at UNC Charlotte. Safe
Zone Ally Programs exist at a number of col
leges and universities, including UNC Char
lotte, to provide a visible network of support
for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered stu
dents, faculty and staff. ▼
Music
ONE
Voice
Cne Voice Chorus Presents
A Cailbaret
Friday May 4th and Saturday May 5^ 7:30pm
At the Visulite leater 1615 Elizabeth Ave
■T Ik.
Joinjs fjr our salute t([Broadway
' Tickets $20 at the door $17 at llie Bag Lady, White Rahhit, Paper Skyscrapeij^
Rainbow Path & Georgetown Bodyworks or call fi04) 529-2951
One Voice Chorus is the Gay, Lesbian and Gay Affirming chorus of Charlotte. One Voice Chorus envisions a world without discrimination, where the
contributions of all people are cherished, celebrated and sought out. We sing to bring such a world into being.
We believe in supporting the community that supports us. That's why we also perform an average of 20 smaller shows each season. Many of these
take place in local houses of worship, where we seek to provide a positive alternative to the often negative messages heard in such places. So far this
year One Voice has performed for the;
hDemocratic Women's Convention of North Carolina
^Metropolitan Community Church of Charlotte
kThe Local Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation
hPiedmont Unitarian Universalist Church
hUnitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte
kThe Carriage Club Assisted Living Center
kThe Brian Center
kHoly Trinity Lutheran Church
iMercy Hospital
hGastonia Aids Council
►Westminster Assisted Living Center
►The Great Aunt Stella Center