Texas Student Says Frat Didn't Give Him a Bid Because He's Gay
University of Texas student Diwu Zhou says the Asian interest fraternity Lambda Phi Epsilon didn't give him a bid this fall because he's openly gay. In the wake of this allegation, LPhiE headquarters has suspended the chapter. Zhou says brothers asked him a "derogatory" question during the interview process.
Zhou revealed to The Daily Texan that the Lambdas are still influenced by brothers who ran the chapter "underground" after it got kicked off campus when a pledge died of alcohol poisoning during an initiation party. Now that LPhiE is an official chapter again, some of the unsavory practices from its underground phase remain. The Daily Texan reports:
According to Zhou, those involved in the interview were members of the official University chapter of the fraternity, as well as members who ran an "underground" chapter that operated while the organization was banned from campus for a six-year period. Zhou said he believes the "underground" members were leading the discrimination.
When he was told he did not receive a bid, Zhou said a member of the fraternity came forward and told him the reason he was not selected was because he is gay.
One of Zhou's friends says he decided not to join LPhiE even though he got a bid. Albert Liang told The Daily Texan, "I thought it was really unfair how they could give me a bid and not give him a bid because he's gay. I wasn't going to just let that slide. I really wanted to stand up for him because I knew it was the right thing to do."
Zhou reported his discrimination claim to LPhiE's national headquarters, which suspended the chapter pending further investigation. "I feel like more people should know that stuff like this happens on campus," Zhou said.
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