Okay, more in-depth comment:
1st, yeah this isn't a good look, but I've seen some borderline ish from D9 too. We ALL need to re-adopt the lesson on the 3 Ds. Greeks know what I mean.
As far as why are people pledging this, I can only speak for myself.
I'm not a member of SQPhi, so I won't speak for them. But I do know this, LGBT men/women face more struggles and daily discrimination than most of you know. Just like in the beginning of the D9, we sought a way to come together and support each other. The men of Alpha started their organization at a PWI, as a resource for academic & social support.
Why should what we are doing be seen any differently?
RE: my own org. We are designed to assist L/B women develop their leadership skills and talents. Other than orgs like ours, there aren't a lot of groups created to provide a place of tolerance & challenge for women like us. That's reality.
Our community needs leaders. There are MULTITUDES of teens who live on the street b/c their parents found out they're gay. We have an AIDS pandemic ravaging our community across the globe. There's the equality fight going, workplace discrimination based on sex. orientation/image, and gender disparities in pay.
Are D9 orgs willing to address the issues of the gay community as a priority? Why not (for those who'll make the argument that "they could just join a D9")? EVERY one of our D9 orgs. have a significant contingency of gay/lesbian members; yet, LGBT rights aren't high on their agenda.
I'm not saying every LGBT org sees their purpose this way. I can only speak for MY organization & our goals, plans, & purpose. Yes, we pledge - I'm not ashamed to say that. What you see in the pic above? Um, no.
The point of what we're gaining by pledging is all I've mentioned above. We commit to each other, and to a purpose larger than ourselves. We stand on the shoulders of our foremothers & work- in the ways we can, to make this world a more tolerable place for the LGBT men & women who'll come after us.
I'm sure my answer won't get read by many - a bit less "sexy" than just saying "we do what we want to do," huh? But I'm responsible to my Oath, and I may be the only representation of my org that some of you will ever see. I must give my best.
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