University of Alabama Sororities Drop Nonbinary Student Grant Sike
All 19 sororities at The University of Alabama dropped nonbinary student Grant Sikes during rush.
All 19 sororities at The University of Alabama dropped nonbinary student Grant Sikes during rush.
“Bama Rush,” the intense UA sorority recruitment week that begins mid-August, saw more than 2,500 students arrive at campus early to fight for a spot in one of UA’s sororities.
The process spawned viral social media posts and news coverage. This year, Al.com reported that just over 91% of potential new members received bids — but not Sikes.
Sikes posted about her disappointment on Aug. 13, when she was cut from her last two options.
“I’m hopeful of a future where everyone is welcomed for just being themselves — everywhere,” Sikes wrote on Instagram.
In response to rumors about why she was cut, Sikes clarified online that she doesn’t have a poor academic record, nor has she ever been arrested. Sikes did not hypothesize as to why she was dropped.
But Sikes did explain why she chose to rush UA’s sororities, not fraternities.
“People [say] that I should have just joined a fraternity or rushed a fraternity: I do not fit in with a fraternity,” Sikes said on TikTok. “That’s not my scene. It’s not relatable. I definitely relate to girls, I am comfortable, I am so much more social, it’s just my scene.”
@grantelisikes HIII! Lets talk ab a few things! Ugh has it been crazy this past week! Thanks again for all the 💕. Also who can count how many times i said and so or you know? 😂 smh. #bama #bamarush #grantsikes #rush #rushtok #theuniversityofalabama #OOTD #news
When reached for comment, UA Assistant Director of Communications Shane Dorrill said that the university and the Alabama Panhellenic Association don’t have jurisdiction over individual recruitments, which are controlled by each sorority.
He did, however, indicate trans students would be welcome.
“The National Panhellenic Conference determines Panhellenic recruitment eligibility and allows those who consistently live and self-identify as a woman to participate in the Panhellenic recruitment process,” Dorrill said.
Sikes clarified in her TikTok videos, however, that she doesn’t consider herself transgender — despite what much of the media coverage originally said.
“All of the media and news and press on this has labeled me as transgender, but this is not correct,” Sikes said. “I’m just nonbinary. I just live my life as Grant and I don’t really like labels.”
While some Greek life groups, like Delta Phi Epsilon, explicitly support nonbinary members, the National Panhellenic Conference hasn’t made any such declaration. In April 2021, NPC delayed a vote that could have officially allowed member sororities to include nonbinary students.
LGBTQ-focused sororities do exist, but none have chapters at UA, according to an Al.com article. The school doesn’t publish data about LGBTQ inclusion among its Greek life.
In that Al.com story, UA graduate Molly Byrom (Class of 2014) said she doesn’t think UA sororities are safe for LGBTQ members.
“I just, I cannot see a world in which LGBTQ people feel safe, at least in the sorority I was in,” Byrom said.
In the meantime, Sikes is looking forward to her next steps.
“Looking back on this past week, SO many amazing opportunities have come my way,” Sikes posted on Instagram. “In my initial application papers, I paid tribute to my Grandma who passed away this year with Alzheimer’s. I know that she is so proud.”
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