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Gay Greek Brothers Expand to New Chapterby Kilian MelloyTuesday Nov 3, 2009 Sigma Phi Beta, the nation’s first exclusively college-based fraternity created for gay and gay-friendly pledges, is opening a new chapter--the first after its original Arizona State University founding chapter.
The fraternity, which began six years ago, was the first exclusively college-based gay fraternity to gain recognition from an interfraternity council, according to a Wikipedia article. An earlier gay fraternity, Delta Lambda Phi, was inaugurated in 1986 and has more than 20 chapters across the country.
If all goes according to plan, Sigma Phi Beta will greet new pledges at Indiana University starting next year, according to a Nov. 3 article at State Press.com. A sophomore there, Joshua Thomas, has undertaken the task of creating the fraternity’s new chapter.
According to Thomas, the fraternity aims to have at least five chapters eventually--the number needed for membership in the North American Interfraternity Conference. But the gay fraternity is not being immediately embraced everywhere. Thomas acknowledged that "there is some hesitation. It’s a new idea."
Said founding chapter member and ASU graduate Sam Holdren, now the fraternity’s director of communications, "I remember first coming on campus, getting involved in the LGBT community, helping to start up the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Coalition at ASU ... protesting in the student senate and getting snickers from people in the audience, just at the words ’LGBT.’ The campus shifted after that." As have attitudes across the board: "I think a lot of other Greeks are more open now than they were before."
Delta Epsilon president at ASU Peter Haslag indicated that the gay fraternity fulfilled a function in college life. "Some guys don’t feel like they would have a place in a regular fraternity ... I think they might get treated differently, and this is an opportunity for them."
Such was the case when THomas decided that he might not fit in with other fraternities already operating at Indiana University and decided to bring Sigma Phi Beta to the campus. ""We want to have a comfortable place for everyone of every sexual orientation," said Thomas.
Added Haslag, "It’s definitely a different change, a different feel from traditional Greek life, but if you look at a university that’s larger than most, and see the success we have had at ASU, there is no reason they can’t have success there as well."
The fraternity has seen a good deal of success with its inaugural chapter, which took honors at ASU for Chapter of the Year two years running, in 2007 and 2008. The fraternity also acts as a means for straights and gays to overcome reliance on stereotype and the prejudice that can engender; the fraternity is not exclusively for gays, accepting "gay allied" straight pledges as well.
Indianapolis TV news Fox 59/WXIN also reported on the story, noting that the new chapter would also observe the policy of non-exclusion, quoting Thomas as saying, "We’re hoping everybody will be accepting and have their minds open to this idea. We’re not trying to do anything to hurt any other groups, we’re just trying to give people another social outlet."
Added Thomas, "We’re not going to discriminate against anybody."
The Fox News article noted that students had previously tried to bring another gay fraternity, Delta Lambda Phi, to the college, though without success.
Kilian Melloy reviews media, conducts interviews, and writes commentary for EDGEBoston, where he also serves as Assistant Arts Editor.
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