Summary
Grant Sikes is an American internet personality. She came out as non-binary and as a transgender woman on her TikTok, after gaining internet fame from partaking in 2022 Bama Rush, the formal recruitment process for sororities affiliated with the National Panhellenic Conference at the University of Alabama.
Grant Sikes | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cullman, Alabama, U.S. |
| Education | University of Alabama |
| Occupation | Internet personality |
| Years active | 2022–present |
Biography edit
Sikes grew up in Cullman, Alabama.[1] As a student at the University of Alabama,[2] Sikes decided to go through formal recruitment for National Panhellenic Conference sororities.[3] She documented her experiences going through recruitment on her TikTok, where she gained hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views.[4] Sikes, alongside other Alabama students such as Kylan Darnell, became internet famous as the recruitment process became an online sensation known as Bama Rush.[5] Sikes was dropped from seventeen of the nineteen National Panhellenic Conference sororities after the first day of formal recruitment,[6][7] leaving Kappa Alpha Theta and Gamma Phi Beta as the two sororities still interested in offering her a bid for membership.[8] Sikes was ultimately not offered a bid for membership in any of the sororities and alleged that this was due to her being non-binary.[1][9] According to the Alabama Panhellenic Association, "any student who consistently lives and self-identifies as a woman" can go through formal recruitment, but the sororities could individually discriminate based on gender identity and presentation.[10]
After receiving negative media attention for her participation in Bama Rush, and being called a "biological man" and queerphobic slurs by members of the sororities, Sikes came out as a transgender woman.[3] She stated that she was outed as transgender by media outlets before publicly coming out on her own terms.[1][11]
References edit
- ^ a b c Sikes, Grant. "I was outed as trans while going through the University of Alabama's competitive sorority rush — before I was able to come out to myself". Insider. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
- ^ Quinn, Megan (2022-08-19). "'I Am Not Transgender' — Alabama Student Dropped By Every Sorority During Rush Week Addresses Misconceptions". YourTango. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
- ^ a b https://www.papermag.com/grant-sikes-bama-rush#rebelltitem3
- ^ https://www.elitedaily.com/lifestyle/grant-sikes-bama-rush-tiktok-interview
- ^ "Transgender woman says she was rejected from every sorority at University of Alabama". The Independent. 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
- ^ Mion, Landon (2022-08-17). "Transgender student rejected by every University of Alabama sorority". Fox News. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
- ^ "Not such a BamaRush: Trans woman reportedly turned down by 20 sororities at University of Alabama". MEAWW. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
- ^ "Grant Sikes, gender-nonconforming BamaRush candidate and TikTok darling, says she's been cut from sorority recruitment". Business Insider. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
- ^ Koplowitz, Howard (2022-08-19). "Grant Sikes, Bama Rush TikTok star: I am 'non-binary'". al. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
- ^ Bechky, Aviva (2022-08-23). "University of Alabama Sororities Drop Nonbinary Student Grant Sike". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
- ^ Tryens-Fernandes, Savannah (2022-08-17). "Grant Sikes, 'main character of Bama Rush,' cut from every sorority: 'It is extremely upsetting'". al. Retrieved 2023-08-19.