We all know the stigmatization of Greek life at college, where joining a frat is either a chance to get gay bashed or have a hot jock hook up. But at Sigma Nu at Emory University it Atlanta, it appears it’s definitely the former: a student claims he was forcibly removed from a Halloween frat party after revealing he’s gay.
The ejection was accompanied by folks screaming slurs and applauding his ouster, the student says, all at the hands of Adam Smith, a Class of 2010 alum who has nothing better to do but hang out at the frat house. The Emory Wheel reports:
The student, who has not yet filed a police report and wished to remain unnamed for this story, attended the party at Sigma Nu’s off-campus house with multiple friends after first venturing out to Eagle Row. His particular choice of costume — a lime-green jacket, red pants and a wizard hat — meant that he stood out immediately among the crowd at the house, the student acknowledged.
“At first, when I walked into the party, some people were taking pictures of me and appreciating, if you will, what I was wearing,” he said. About half an hour later, however, another attendee — confirmed by multiple witnesses as recent alum Adam Smith (’10C) — took the student’s wizard hat and began questioning him. “This guy approached me and asked why I was wearing my hat. … I said that I like the hat, just as you like your pink shirt. He then asked me if I was gay, and I said I was. He then started choking me with his elbow and put me into a head lock, and he dragged me out of the party by my neck.” After the student was allegedly dragged the approximately 10 to 15 feet from the house’s common area to the door and thrown onto the front lawn, Smith was overheard telling other attendees “Hey, this kid’s a f****t.”
Smith insists it didn’t go down like that.
“This kid was at the party, and was acting kind of ridiculous. I went over, took his hat and started dancing around,” he said. Smith then said he asked the student: “Why are you wearing this gay ass hat?” According to Smith, the student replied that it was for the “same reason you’re wearing your pink shirt.” Smith said that he then asked if the student was implying that he (Smith) was “f***ing gay or something.” Receiving an affirmative reaction, Smith then admitted to putting him in a head lock and ejecting him from the party.
Uh, so it did go down like that?
How about we take this to the next level?
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But of course Sigma Nu is taking this issue very seriously, or whatever. Says chapter president Khurram Dara in an email to student paper Emory Wheel: “We’d like the Emory community to know that we are taking this allegation very seriously. We have reviewed the limited information made available to us in an effort to learn as much as we can.” (Notes Wheel: “The statement refers to the alleged victim as ‘an uninvited Emory student [who] was not known by anyone who lived in the residence.’ The statement continues on to say that Smith was asked to leave as a direct result of the altercation.”)
And while there’s no police report yet, the student did meet with Dean for Campus Life Bridget Riordan, Director of LGBT Life at Emory Michael Shutt and Director of Greek Life Buck Cooke.
So congratulations to Emory’s Sigma Nu chapter, for learning a whole helluva lot following the suicide of Tyler Clementi: Making gay students feel unwelcome and ostracized is perfectly acceptable campus behavior.
[This post originally included a photo of a different Adam Smith. We regret the error.]
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Adam: Whats the matter fatty? Whats that old saying ’bout me thinking you were protesting just a bit too much??? Still a little sore bout that whole scene when you “had a few too many beers” and hit on a Gay dude he made fun of your oh so very tiny weeney?
Kev C
Are you calling me gay because I’m wearing a pink shirt and grabbing your phallic hat? Dude, not cool!
Tim W
I think Queerty needs to check the picture. From my understanding the Adam Smith in question was on the lacrosse team at Emory. If you do a search for Adam Smith Emory lacrosse this isn’t the same guy.
Tim W
In fact this seems to be the guy in question and he doesn’t look anything like the picture above: http://twitter.com/AdamSmith901
Cam
Adam, the accused said “”This kid was at the party, and was acting kind of ridiculous. I went over, took his hat and started dancing around,”
____________________________
So let me get this straight….”The Kid” was acting ridiculous, so you took his hat and started dacing around…acting…um…not ridiculous?
alan brickman
this story doesn’t add up…smells a bit…
Joseph
Glad my college doesn’t allow Frats.
Anthony
Hey, the picture you have up is of the wrong Adam Smith. The picture you have up is of an Emory Grad student and alumni who went to Richmond for undergrad and is not Sig Nu; he is not the undergrad Alumni who is referenced in the Wheel article. Get this guy’s photo off of here and do your homework next time before you throw photos online. You might want to apologize to this Adam as well, seeing as you’ve already obviously checked his facebook (seeing as this is his profile picture) and know how to reach him.
Sceth
It’s as if my University is in a different world; at least it’s better in some parts of the US. A friend got his pledge rescinded because he would have problems with a homosexuality.
hephaestion
Every person in Atlanta needs to go take a piss on the lawn of Sigma Nu at Emory.
Michael
I imagine even if the victim here were straight, he would have still found himself in the front yard. This frat is not unlike any other. If it is not rush season, and you are not invited, you really ought to re-think your plans. Chances are good that, unless you are delivering a free keg, you will not be welcome at the party for long.
Luke
Though I absolutely do not condone such behavior, I do not think this incident should be a reflection on the entire Sigma Nu fraternity or greek life in general. As an out and proud gay student, I am a member of fraternity chapter on my campus and have led a very successful and safe college experience. Clearly Adam Smith was in the wrong to have forcibly removed a student on the grounds that he is gay. Greek life can sometimes foster hate toward certain groups, but many groups of men are organized because of their belief in higher standards for themselves an their fellow men. I would imagine that many organizations would be absolutely intolerant of such behavior because many of their brothers may life out gay lifestyles.