Harvard Eliminating Men's Organizations But Preserving Women's Organizations

Harvard wants exclusively male social groups such as fraternities or social clubs eliminated. The University claims they are gender exclusionary.  Beginning this year, undergraduate students of male-only social organizations will be banned from holding athletic team captaincies and positions of leadership in any recognized student groups. They will also be barred from fellowships, including Rhodes, Marshall and other scholarships thereby effecting future job opportunities. Lastly male-only clubs will be slapped with sanctions by the University.

Female-only organizations are currently exempt from coed regulations. Initially, exclusively female clubs would fall under the regulations around the year 2022. However, this plan was changed.  The revised plan states female clubs may remain "gender focused" for the next 5 years. During this time period, the school hopes exclusively female clubs will become coed. At the end of the 5 year period, Harvard will assess the positive contributions of female clubs to the campus community. The school will then decide to either make female-only clubs comply with the new coed regulations or give them a new grace period for compliance. At the end of any new grace period, the school retains the option of issuing a subsequent grace period. This is a sneaky violation of Title IX law.

Additionally, there is a new proposal from several faculty members demanding the expulsion of any student joining a gender exclusive club. Since female clubs are currently exempt from coed regulations, the proposal would only apply to male students.

The Dean of the College, Rakesh Khurana, stated his views on men's organizations in a 2016 letter. He wrote:

"Discrimination is pernicious. Stereotypes and bias take hold, normalizing in a community behavior, which should be unacceptable. In this case the discriminatory membership policies of these organizations have led to the perpetuation of spaces that are rife with power imbalances. The most entrenched of these spaces send an unambiguous message that they are the exclusive preserves of men. In their recruitment practices and through their extensive resources and access to networks of power, these organizations propagate exclusionary values that undermine those of the larger Harvard College community.”

 Khurana did not state similar views toward exclusively female organizations.

The Harvard Crimson (the University's student newspaper) also expressed a gender double standard. The newspaper said it supports banning students from joining single gender organizations. However,  the Crimson stated   "as we have opined in the past, we wish it was possible for administrators to better distinguish male final clubs and sororities. If the committee seeks to combat exclusivity and foster belonging, arguably sororities can provide a supportive role by giving women a social space on campus." Thus, the chauvinistic Crimson supports banning gender exclusionary groups UNLESS THEY ARE FEMALE-ONLY.

Harvard is located in Boston. Even that city's major newspaper supported the school's policy of sex discrimination.   The Boston Globe stated "But as Harvard attempts to crack down on all-male final (social) clubs, a proposal to ban membership in exclusive clubs could have a disproportionate impact on women, who belong to such organizations in greater numbers." The newspaper quoted a former student claiming "the real world still has ‘old boys clubs’ and that therefore women’s organizations remain necessary balancers and spaces that empower women.” The newspaper asserted that male-only clubs are "all-men bastions" while Harvard’s sororities and women’s final clubs are "an alternative social space to the male final clubs and fraternities". The Globe also wrote "Sororities and single-gender clubs also help women form networks that can help them land jobs, provide recommendations for graduate school, and offer support if they move to a new city, members say".

The Boston Globe sympathizes with female students gaining social support, empowerment and job links from female-only clubs. However, if male-only clubs provide THE EXACT SAME benefits to male students, the sexist news organization implies its discrimination toward women.

This is what happens when feminism becomes part of a University's culture. New ways of sex discrimination are invented, endorsed and then enacted.

Title IX law states “No person in the United  states shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the  benefits  of,  or  be  subjected  to  discrimination  under  any  educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."  "The protection extends to all aspects of these institutions’ education   programs   and   activities." "Title IX prohibits all forms of sex discrimination, including gender-based harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual violence."

Harvard’s current coed policies violate all of these principals. The school is discriminating against male students and harassing male organizations. Both male and female students should fall under the SAME coed policy and suffer the SAME penalties.

Harvard received about $608 million in federal funds during 2014.The school received approximately the same amount of federal funding in 2016.. All federal funding of Harvard should cease until the school complies with Title IX law.

Feminists at other Universities are already watching Harvard's sex discrimination policies. If Harvard can ignore Title IX law without repercussions then feminist groups will begin recommending similar policies at other colleges.