National LGBT & Straight-Ally Sorority Charters Fourth Chapter in U.S. at K-State

Gamma Rho Lambda Delta Chapter Makes History being inducted at OUT & GREEK National Conference

November 25, 2009 (Manhattan, Kansas) – A new chapter of Gamma Rho Lambda (GRL) was officially recognized at Kansas State University (K-State) on November 21st. GRL is the first national progressive sorority with a focus on providing a social support system for young college students in the LGBT and straight-ally community. Delta Chapter is the fourth undergraduate chapter recognized by GRL. The chartering occured the same weekend as the Out & Greek National Leadership Conference hosted at K-State this year.

The journey to establishing a chapter at K-State began a year and a half ago when Chelsey Fritch, Chapter President, and seven other students established a colony of Gamma Rho Lambda on campus. As a colony of GRL, young women are given the opportunity to prove to themselves and others that they can form a sustainable group dedicated to the mission of Gamma Rho Lambda. It is a difficult, three-semester process, and the group met both the requirements of the University’s Greek Life Office and Gamma Rho Lambda’s National Council.

“We’re extremely proud of the sisters at K-State,” said Janette Smith, Vice President of Expansion for Gamma Rho Lambda National Sorority. “The group is incredible. They have gone above and beyond the requirements for obtaining their charter, and I look forward to seeing the group continue to flourish.”

I was quite disappointed last week when I read this story. In short, the student senate of one of our fellow Kansas universities (Kansas State - Salina) denied funding for a transgender speaker that a student group wished to bring to campus. (To be clear, Kansas State and Kansas State-Salina have separate senates. In fact, KSU is even hosting Campus Q's Out and Greek Conference.)

If you read the story, you will see that the student senators used a variety of excuses not to fund the speaker, including violent comments left in the student senate comment box. This is just the kind of reaction that cries out for this speaker to be funded! Of course, I don't wish violence to occur should the speaker come to campus, but ignorant threats such as these need to be combated. I would hope that these student senators would realize that ignorance needs to be educated, not indulged.

For those of you not from Kansas, let me give you a little context. Salina, along with most of Kansas, is rather conservative. Actually, that's an understatement. Take a look at this to see what I mean. Don't let the map fool you; blue is Republican on that map. My point here is this: if anywhere needs exposure to transgender issues, it's Salina. So I applaud the students who are trying to educate their peers and their community, and I hope they can find the alternative funds to bring the speaker. And above all, I hope students and community members will open their minds for long enough to maybe learn something new about those who are different from them.

Campus Pride Hosts Second Annual OUT & GREEK Conference for LGBT & Ally Fraternity & Sorority Members, Nov 19-22

Registration Open; Call for Workshop Presenters until Friday, September 25, 2009

Manhattan, KS, September 14 , 2009 – Campus Pride announced today the dates for the second annual Out & Greek conference designed for LGBT and ally college students and professionals involved in Greek life. The conference, which will take place November 19-22 at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, is the only conference of its kind for LGBT and ally fraternity and sorority members nationally. Registration now open along with call for workshop presenters online at http://www.lambda10.org/outandgreek.

Echoing the mission of Campus Pride's Lambda 10 educational initiative, the Out and Greek Conference aims to bring together lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) and ally members of fraternities and sororities in an effort to foster dialogue and create safer, more LGBT-friendly learning environments at colleges and universities.

"Fraternities and sororities were once considered a primary source of homophobia on college campuses," said conference chair Chelsey Fritch who is also a member of Gamma Rho Lambda, one of the nations queer-inclusive sororities. "But now more than ever LGBT members of the Greek system are being open and honest about who we are. This conference hopes to provide an opportunity to enhance that dialogue, share tools and create further strategies for change."