Literature Review #1

1. 
2. Freeman, Pamela W., and Shane L. Windmeyer. Out on Fraternity Row. Los Angeles, CA: Alyson, 2001. Print.
3. Out on Fraternity Row is a collection of short stories and accounts from various fraternities pertaining to homosexual experiences. While everyone’s situation is unique, every fraternity member faces similar patterns of fearing their sexuality being “exposed” and struggling with acceptance.
4. Shane L. Windmeyer was part of a fraternity (Phi Delta Theta) in 1992, and created the Lambda 10 Project in 1995 which was the collection of experiences that became this book in order to address homophobia issues in the college Greek system. Pamela W. Freeman is the assistant dean of students and director of the Office of Student Ethics and Antiharassment Programs in Indiana University, she co-chairs the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Antiharassment Team (Out on Fraternity Row, back cover)
5. Visibility: refers to how gay members of fraternities need to speak up and defend other gay members from homophobia to spark “visibility”, i.e. showing that there are more gay members than people think. Gaydar: a “radar” that people assume they have that can determine who they meet is gay or not based on certain stereotypes, gestures, and actions. Fraternity members suspected to be gay under the gaydar were simply ignored or avoided.
6. “One encounters similar complexities when trying to determine how many fraternity men are gay. Many men are still developing their sexual identity while they are in college” (xxix)
1. This statement emphasizes that sexuality is fluid and that men who identify as gay during a certain time period (i.e. college) may not identify as exclusively gay during other periods of their life. Likewise for heterosexuality and bisexuality.

“Maurice: ‘So when asked why I wanted to join a fraternity, I had one answer for him: to meet women and become sexually involved with them so that I would not end up gay” (xxx)

b. One of the fraternity members’ statements on why they joined Greek life. Maurice is not comfortable with his own sexuality so he decided to assimilate into the heteronormative fraternity culture.

“Brothers equate virility with hterosexuality. Some brothers reported that when they were pledges there was pressure on them ‘to get laid’ in order to establish their virility as heterosexual males. Fraternities that don’t apply this pressure are seen as encouraging homosexuality”

c.  One of the signs that people use a “gaydar” for. If a person does not conform to heterosexual acts such as virility, then they will be suspected and possibly outed for not having the same standards of masculinity.

7. This book will help me speak out homosexuality in Greek Life because these are real, actual experiences by fraternity brothers. Usually, fraternity brothers will not speak out because of their fear of being outed and ostracized by their own brothers, so they will usually stay silent.