Not such a BamaRush: Trans woman reportedly turned down by 20 sororities at University of Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA: A transgender college student who said that she was turned down by every sorority she tried to join during the student recruiting process at the University of Alabama has received an outpouring of support. Earlier this week, Grant Sikes wrote on Instagram about being rejected by each of the approximately 20 sororities at the campus. Sikes wrote, “Unfortunately, this chapter is closed. This recruitment journey is over for me. Being dropped from my last house this morning during primary recruitment at the University of Alabama doesn’t come as a surprise considering out of the almost 20 chapters ... I was dropped by every single one except 2 before day 1.”
"I’m hopeful of a future where everyone is welcomed for just being themselves — everywhere. If you are going through a hard time today, remember that life is too short to ponder on the things lost. Choose happiness & always look for the positive things throughout life. Move on. See the good. See the bad. Hope for the best. Brave the worst,” she added. As of this writing, Sikes' Instagram post had over 36,000 likes. Sikes said in another TikTok video that she was sad because she "wanted to be a part of a sisterhood and, more than that, a community" and described the unanimous rejection as "very heartbreaking." Since it was posted earlier this week, the TikTok video has received roughly 190,000 likes and more than 6,300 comments.
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Sikes' TikTok videos detailing the recruitment process received millions of views during Alabama Rush Week. The University of Alabama's incoming freshmen has been using social media sites like TikTok and Instagram for the past two years to chronicle their attempts to join the school's Greek community. This process is known as Alabama Rush Week or Bama Rush. On TikTok, the hashtag #BamaRush had more than 1.6 billion views as of Wednesday.
Students who want to join one of the approximately 20 sorority chapters on campus frequently record their attire for the day or share other bits of information about the recruitment process in videos that frequently go viral. Following Sikes's update, her fans on Instagram and TikTok have left supportive comments. One person wrote, “You found a community and sisterhood here. Thanks for taking us along for the ride. Love you and you can be my sister anytime.” “Grant your community is RIGHT HERE. Please keep posting and sharing about your life. We aren’t going anywhere,” another user added. “Hugs to you Grant. The rush process isn’t fair for anyone and it’s so outdated. We love you so much and you are never alone,” yet another user remarked.
@grantelisikes HII. Thank u all 💕 it rlly means a lot. #rush #bamarush #ootd #theuniversityofalabama #rushtalk #makeup #rushtok ♬ original sound - Grant Sikes