Two sorority sisters expelled from Kappa Kappa Gamma after opposing inclusion of trans members

When Artemis Langford, who stands at 6'2" and weighs in at 260 pounds, declared he was a woman and joined a sorority at the University of Wyoming, he was backed by the national policies of Kappa Kappa Gamma, which had a self-ID policy in place for males to join the women's group after saying they are female. Now, two alumni members have been removed after speaking out against the inclusion of men in the women's group.

Since Langford's admittance, sisters in the Wyoming chapter have sued to keep their space women-only, and now per the Independent Women's Forum, two women were expelled from the sorority altogether after expressing their dismay at the dissolution of the sex-segregated sisterhood.

A lawsuit, Westenbroek v. Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity, brought by seven members of the sorority alleged that Langford had not undergone any medical intervention to pursue gender transition and had been watching the younger members of the sorority undress, even appearing in a state of arousal.

Patsy Levang and Cheryl Tuck-Smith were alumna members of Kappa Kappa Gamma, but their membership has not been revoked after they advocated for the sisterhood to remain exactly that. The two women have been involved with the sorority for over 50 years. They were informed of their dismissal by the Standards Director.

"In accordance with the Fraternity Bylaws and Standing Rules," the letter read, "a member may be dismissed for violating the purposes and standards of the Fraternity." In this case, those "purposes and standards" that were violated was insisting that the sorority be for women only. The list of violations included insinuations that the women were not permitted to speak about the incident to the press.

In response, Levang pointed out that she had not even been told what she had done that was in violation of the many listed policies. She noted that she'd brought national attention to the lawsuit and alleged that their complaints with her had to do with her "objection to the Fraternity's conduct" and that their conduct in dismissing her "constitutes an abuse of corporate power and retaliation." She denied having violated any policy and claims that "the lack of specificity" in the letter shows "that this is merely an attempt at silencing dissenting voices."

"My heart was saddened when the current six council members voted me out, however, I will not be quiet about the truth," Levang told IWF.

"I was hurt when I was terminated as a member of KKG," said Tuck-Smith, but also disturbed that KKG has become a political tool rather than an organization that promotes women. My dismissal simply spurs me on to educate others about the dangers of DEI which in reality does not support diversity, equity and inclusion."

Tuck-Smith also stated that she believes the termination is not due to any real violation but is in retaliation to her advocacy to keep the women's sorority women only.

"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," read a legal complaint against Langford's inclusion as one of the girls.

"The Fraternity Council has betrayed the central purpose and mission of Kappa Kappa Gamma by conflating the experience of being a woman with the experience of men engaging in behavior generally associated with women," it continued.

The complaint stated that "No other member of Kappa Kappa Gamma has comparable size or strength" and that Langford is "sexually interested in women," even having a Tinder profile "through which he seeks to meet women."

Langford was admitted to the University of Wyoming chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma in October 2022. He was admitted through a vote in which the majority of women affirmed him as a female and let him into their sisterhood. The sorority was founded in 1870.

Judge Alan Johnson dismissed the case, saying that it was the right of the group to redefine the word "woman" to include men. “Kappa Kappa Gamma’s bedrock right as a private, voluntary organization — and one this Court may not invade," he said.

In 2021, Kappa Kappa Gamma changed its rules for entry to the group, saying that "women and individuals who identify as women" would be allowed into the sorority. Members were also told to use "gender-neutral" language and to not make "assumptions about someone’s … gender identity." 

"Kappa Kappa Gamma is a single-gender organization comprised of women and individuals who identify as women," reads the guide from Kappa Kappa Gamma. Members are also supposed to use the terminology "'people of all genders' instead of 'women and men,'" and "'children' instead of 'boys and girls.'"