Shifting fraternity masculinities: Examining the relationships of the inclusion of queer membership and members’ masculinities.

Abstract

Stakeholders have routinely expressed concerns about the climates of gender and sexuality fostered in historically White college social fraternities. Their perpetuation of hegemonic masculinities has been associated with problematic outcomes, including the promotion of misogyny and homophobia. Yet, scholars have identified that more inclusive forms of masculinities (Anderson, 2008, 2009), ones that promote positive outcomes, are possible within fraternities. Using multilevel modeling with a sample of 3,106 members of a fraternity represented at 112 U.S. higher education institutions, the purpose of this study was to examine if fraternity chapters with higher percentages of queer men predicted members’ conformity to masculine norms. Controlling for individual racial and ethnic identity, the percentage of members identifying as students of color in each chapter and individual sexual identity, we found the percentage of queer members in each chapter was inversely related to members’ adherence to the masculine norms of heterosexual presentation, primacy of work, power over women, and winning and positively associated with self-reliance. Our results suggested that increased presence of queer members in a chapter may diminish members’ endorsement of hegemonic masculinities. Consequently, we offer implications for practitioners to identify interventions that promote the inclusion of queer members in fraternities and inclusive masculinities overall.