Comfort Level Engaging With Lesbians/ Bisexuals A series of questions asked about participants’ comfort level with living and socializing with lesbian and bisexual women. The mean score for factor one (Comfort and Engagement) was 49.66 (sd = 8.011) with scores ranging from a low of 23 to a high of 60. As shown in Table 3, participants did not take an individual’s sexual orientation into consideration before becoming friends with them (m = 4.49 sd = 0.66). Participants were comfortable being
around lesbian and bisexual women (m = 4.46 sd = 0.66), working closely with lesbians (m = 4.45 sd = 0.66), and attending sorority socials where lesbians are present (m = 4.41 sd = 0.73). Participants were still comfortable, but to a lesser degree, having a roommate who is lesbian (m = 3.79 sd = 1.11) and having women they did not know hit on them (m = 3.88 sd = 0.93). Participants’ views toward their sisters dating each other were neutral with a mean score of 3.00 (sd = 1.23).
Table 3 Factor One: Comfort Level EngagingWith Lesbian/Bisexuals Item Mean I do not take a person’s sexual orientation into consideration before I become friends with them. I would feel comfortable being around lesbian and bisexual women I would feel comfortable working closely with lesbians I would feel comfortable attending sorority socials where lesbians are present I would feel comfortable with my sisters bringing same-sex dates to sorority socials I would feel comfortable having a best friend who is bisexual I would feel comfortable having a best friend who is lesbian I would feel comfortable having a big sister who is lesbian I would feel comfortable having a little sister who is lesbian I would be offended if a woman I didn’t know hit on me. I would feel comfortable having a roommate who is lesbian I would feel comfortable with my sisters dating each other
Standard Deviation
4.49 4.46 4.45
0.66 0.66 0.66
4.41
0.73
4.40 4.32 4.23 4.23 4.22 3.88 3.79 3.00
0.83 0.80 0.88 0.89 0.89 0.93 1.11 1.23
*Note: A Likert Scale from strongly disagree (1) - neutral (3) - strongly agree (5) was used
Feminine Identity The Feminine Identity factor measured participant expectations and perceptions of their sisters’ expectations that their sorority sisters follow the heteronormative expectations of what it means to dress and act as a girl/
woman. This factor had a mean score of 27.27 (sd = 7.49) with scores ranging from 11 to a maximum of 45, which represents strong disagreement that members of the participants’ chapters have to follow traditional gender norms in the way they dress and act. As shown
Oracle: The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Vol. 8, Issue 1 • Spring 2013 7