A group of sorority sisters at the University of Wyoming involved in legal action against leadership at Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG) claim they were made to change the definition of ‘woman’ in order to facilitate the admission of a 6’2″ man who identifies as transgender and calls himself Artemis Langford.
“We were blindsided. When we reached out to national headquarters even before there was a vote on this person’s application, we were told that they would get back to us, but they never did. When we brought up privacy and safety concerns, we were either ignored or told to be quiet and change our definition of a woman,” the sorority sisters wrote in a collective op-ed for Fox News this week.
Kappa Kappa Gamma has defended its decision, insisting the word ‘woman’ is “unquestionably open to many interpretations.” Leadership for the sorority says the word ‘woman’ has evolved since the founding of the female-only organization 150 years ago.
“Nowhere in (our founding) documents can Plaintiffs find their restrictive definition of the term ‘woman,’” Kappa’s filing reads.
In June, the sorority filed a motion to dismiss the suit, calling it a “frivolous” attempt to eject Langford for “their own political purposes.” According to the motion, the women suing are flinging “dehumanizing mud” in order to “bully Ms. Langford on the national stage.”
“This, alone, merits dismissal,” the filing states. “Plaintiffs can also resign their membership in the organization if a position of inclusion is too offensive to their personal values,” says the legal action submitted by KKG.
In the motion, lawyers for Kappa Kappa Gamma depicted the suit as an attempt by “a vocal minority” to impose their personal beliefs at the cost of Langford and the sorority.
“Perhaps the greatest wrongs in this case are not the ones Plaintiffs and their supporters imagine they have suffered, but the ones that they have inflicted through their conduct since filing the Complaint,” they wrote. “Regardless of personal views on the rights of transgender people, the cruelty that Plaintiffs and their supporters have shown towards Langford and anyone in Kappa who supports Langford is disturbing.”
Seven women from KKG’s University of Wyoming chapter sued headquarters in March, alleging that the organization violated its own rules by admitting Langford the previous year.
“An adult human male does not become a woman just because he tells others that he has a female ‘gender identity’ and behaves in what he believes to be a stereotypically female manner,” reads the legal complaint.
In May, a judge twice prohibited the women from suing anonymously, while stipulating that Langford’s identity should remain protected. Langford was referred to by the pseudonym “Terry Smith” and male pronouns in the legal documents. Six of the women then refiled the lawsuit under their own names, and are requesting that the court void Langford’s membership in KKG.
“It is really uncomfortable. Some of the girls have been sexually assaulted or sexually harassed. Some girls live in constant fear in our home,” one of the sisters, Hannah, told Megyn Kelly during an interview on her podcast.
The attorney representing the women, Cassie Craven, told Kelly that “there has been an exemption granted for him for his safety, but not for these young women.” Craven also revealed that, even after the suit was launched, Langford continued to attend the sorority house.
“That individual still comes to the house, still engages in dinner, still sits in the chair and watches the girls,” Craven said.
As previously reported by Reduxx, the suit claims that Langford’s behavior in the sorority house has been voyeuristic, with allegations that he has watched the women undress, and would sit on a couch for hours while “staring at them without talking.” The young women say that Langford had been voyeuristically peeping on them while they were in intimate situations, and, in at least one occasion, had a visible erection while doing so.
“One sorority member walked down the hall to take a shower, wearing only a towel … She felt an unsettling presence, turned, and saw Mr. Smith [Langford] watching her silently,” the court filing reads.
“Mr. Smith has, while watching members enter the sorority house, had an erection visible through his leggings,” the suit says. “Other times, he has had a pillow in his lap.”
The complaint adds that Langford is “sexually interested in women” as evidenced by his Tinder profile “through which he seeks to meet women.” It is further alleged that Langford took photographs of the women while at a sorority slumber party, where he also is said to have made inappropriate comments.
“Smith repeatedly questioned the women about what vaginas look like, breast cup size, whether women were considering breast reductions and birth control,” the complaint alleges.
Langford denies the allegations and claims that they are nothing more than “drunken gossip.” Last week, his attorney submitted to the U.S. District Court for Wyoming an image of a text message exchange as evidence that he has not sexually harassed the sorority sisters.
“The allegations against Ms. Langford … were borne out of a hypothesis in search of evidence and pieced together using drunken party stories. Ms. Langford is not a victim; she is a target,” defense attorney Rachel Berkness told the court.
“We have a simple claim: we were promised an all-female experience, and we have the legal right to that. Kappa Kappa Gamma’s bylaws restrict membership to women,” the women, writing for Fox News this week, stated.
“Women should not be belittled and discriminated against for wanting the single-sex experience they were promised and that is permitted under Title IX. Women deserve rights under the law and with these rights, the community, safety, privacy and opportunities that come with women-only spaces.”
Langford’s membership was made possible by language within a recent guidance issued by sorority leaders on inclusivity. The national KKG Guide For Supporting Our LGBTQIA+ Members (2021) states that “Kappa Kappa Gamma is a single-gender organization comprised of women and individuals who identify as women whose governing documents do not discriminate in membership selection except by requiring good scholarship and ethical character.”
Although Langford required a majority vote to gain admission to KKG, not all of the women were pleased with the decision. Last year, one sorority member came forward to state that the women were initially promised anonymity in regards to the voting process, only to then be required to identify themselves on the online ballot form. This resulted in women feeling “intimidated” with voicing their concerns about a male entering the sorority.
In a meeting held to discuss Langford’s potential candidacy, KKG chapter leaders, including the president and membership chair, allegedly dismissed the concerns of women who expressed discomfort.
“Regardless of what your political views are, our Kappa values are acceptance and kindness so if that is something that you disagree with, that’s not in line with Kappa values,” one member allegedly said at the time, according to the unnamed KKG member.
Another member allegedly said “If you vote no, it better be for issues with that new member or else it’s homophobic.” The source told the National Review that comments made by KKG leaders downplayed worries women had about sharing a residence with Langford: “If your only concerns are about her living in the house, you are thinking too far down the road,” it was allegedly said, and, “If you have something to say about this that isn’t kind or respectful, keep it to yourself.”
As previously revealed by Reduxx, Artemis Langford’s given name is Dallin, and he began identifying as transgender while participating in mock micro-nations in high school.
According to a micro-nations wiki entry, “On the 11th of June 2017, Dallin Langford announced to the micronational community that she was transgender and was given a name change to Artemis Langford as reflection of this revelation. The Kingdom changed into a Queendom and from King to Queen.”
Langford has been involved in various aspects of political organizing. Currently, he acts as a legislative intern for the Wyoming Democrats, as acknowledged through social media posts made by the organization. In March, the Wyoming Democrats announced Langford as a “state committeewoman” in Albany County.
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