Recently, there has been a wave of attention on the Yale Fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon’s disturbing pledge initiation. Pledges were blindfolded and marched through campus, chanting charming slogans that included “No means yes, yes means anal” and “My name is Jack, I’m a necrophiliac, I fuck dead women”.
I don’t want to bash anyone involved with Greek life, because there’s nothing wrong with the idea of “brotherhood” or “sisterhood”. But making young men perform rights of passage like this is, quite frankly, disgusting and deplorable. DKE President Jordan Forney noted that “DKE does not condone sexual violence”. I hate to be a bitch (no I don’t), Mr. Forney, but the action of your Fraternity absolutely does reflect a culture where sexual violence is permissible.
In an editorial later published in the Yale Daily News, a member of the Editorial Board commented that “Feminists at Yale should remember that, on a campus as progressive as ours, most of their battles are already won: All of us agree on gender equality.” Wait, what? All of our battles are already won? Oh, that’s why these chants were written in the first place! Because you’re so progressive! How stupid of me, to doubt the progressive nature of rape jokes and “fucking dead women”. It must have been your ability to write such clever slogans and your applicable knowledge of A-A-B rhyme schemes that got you into Yale in the first place. Well played, Editorial Board!
That a college as seemingly “progressive” as Yale would even try to defend DKE’s actions is baffling to me. Rape and sexual assault are serious issues that, sadly, one in four women will experience while they’re in college. In 2008, there were 13 reported sexual assaults at Yale, and reported statistics are usually horrifically under-represented. It’s difficult to imagine how uncomfortable and discouraged a rape or assault survivor would feel hearing a group of men chanting about the permissibility of rape. As we’ve discussed before on this blog, sacrificing the feelings of rape victims for the sake of a joke is, well, fucked up and fundamentally wrong. And if believing that makes me an unfunny bitch, I’m okay with that.
UPDATE (5/22/2011): Months after this incident occurred and video from the initiation went viral, CNN.com is reporting that Yale has officially suspended DKE, citing a violation of Title IX for creating a “sexually hostile environment” on campus. DKE is prohibited from conducting any fraternity activities on campus, including recruitment, for five years.
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