Thank You, Chi Psi Fraternity

Since I started Girls Fight Back over a decade ago, we have been blessed with many supporters. Many of them are survivors of horrific crimes who know all too well what’s at stake. Some of them have lost loved ones to violence. And often times, they are men who simply want to be part of the solution.

That’s right. MEN.

Amazing, supportive, glorious, forward-thinking men. And sometimes, these supporters are FRATERNITY MEN.

<record player screeches>

Wait, WHAT? Frat boys? Aren’t they all just a bunch of drunken date rapists?

Oh friends, let’s talk about this. Indeed, crime happens at college. Some men victimize women. But most do not. In my experience as an undergraduate student, member of Alpha Phi and someone who has worked with fraternal men since launching GFB in 2001 – I can testify that in most cases, these dudes are our greatest allies.

Chi Psi Fraternity is the lead sponsor for the GFB Tour, and I am just so proud to say that. After my first conversation with the Executive Director Sam Bessey he said to me, “Frankly, I can’t think of a reason NOT to get behind this tour.”

And my heart went pitter-patter. Mr. Bessey is one class act. But I wanted to know more about WHY they wanted to team up with us, and his team put some thought into it, and came up with these reasons below. (Warning: You will want to date, marry and pro-create with a Chi Psi man after you read this.)

• Chi Psi needs to support GFB because we’re about self-respect, regardless of who has it. Nothing’s cooler than a smart, independent woman who can take care of herself – and ward off creeps with a life-threatening credit card or car key to the throat! In fact, who knew that a Gold Card could get you a formal dress AND draw blood?

• Safety? Not a women’s issue – it’s a bullying issue (and that’s not OK for anyone).  Part of our values are to serve the needs of the broader community – and GFB offers education in a way that Chi Psi can’t.

• Chi Psi is a Fraternity of gentlemen – so while we expect that we’d never be on the receiving end of GFB’s badass techniques – we do want everyone to feel empowered and confident. Our Brothers can’t be everywhere, so we’re sponsoring GFB because we want everyone safe.

• Chi Psi supports GFB because confident women don’t scare us. Confident women SHOULD scare the jerks who use fear to try to push them around. Fight back, ladies (and if we haven’t taken the GFB training, we’ll stand behind you…literally!)

Thank you Sam. Thank you men of Chi Psi. Thanks for caring about our plight. Thanks for being hilarious, awesome and non-threatened by women who know how to regulate. Thanks for having the guts to be so public with your intolerance. And thanks for having our back.  (We got yours too.)

CLICK HERE to “like” Chi Psi on Facebook, or to leave them a little love note on their wall.