Wyoming U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson dismissed the case against the Wyoming chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority after debates over inducting a transgender member on August 25, 2023.
In March 2023, six members of the sorority filed lawsuits against the sorority over the recent addition of transgender member, Artemis Langford, claiming that it limits membership to “women only.” Kappa Kappa Gamma has supported Langford in the past, and has held its stance since the beginning, stating that the term ‘woman’ is “unquestionably open to many interpretations.”
In the lawsuit, the six women turned to the bylaws, which they argue says that every new member must be “a woman.”
After examination, Judge Johnson noted that the plaintiff’s definition was not as ‘expansive’ as what is provided in the bylaws, and the court would not provide further definition.
“With its inquiry beginning and ending there, the court will not define a ‘woman’ today,” Judge Johnson stated.
In June 2023, the sorority motioned to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming “The central issue in this case is sim- ple: do the plaintiffs have a legal right to be in a sorority that excludes transgender women? They do not.”
The motion continued, “Plaintiffs request the Court to insert itself into this controversial political debate and declare that a private organization can only interpret the term ‘woman’ using Plaintiffs’ exclusionary definition of biologically born females.”
The case has since been dismissed and Langford continues to be a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.
In a statement to CNN, the sorority stated, “Kappa Kappa Gamma applauds the court’s ruling in Wyoming upholding a private organization’s right to choose their members. We look forward to moving past this lawsuit so we can continue the important work being done every day on behalf of all of our members.”
