Delta Lambda Phi

Delta Lambda Phi was founded in Washington, D.C. on October 15, 1986, by Vernon L. Strickland III.{{Cite news |last=Storrs |first=Toshav |date=1995-10-25 |title=Letters Address a Gay Frat |pages=8 |work=The Ithaca Journal |location=Ithaca, New York |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-letters-address-a-gay/128208361/ |access-date=2023-07-14 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Leff |first=Lisa |date=November 28, 1993 |title=The Boys of Delta Lambda Phi |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1993/11/28/the-boys-of-delta-lambda-phi/884467ef-3404-42cb-b8a9-bab89bb18481/ |access-date=July 15, 2023}} A fellow student on his university campus had been denied fraternity membership due to the presumption that he was gay. When Strickland became aware of other examples of this, he began organizing a fraternity with a more welcoming model that would not discriminate based on sexual orientation.{{Cite news |last=Eisasser |first=Glen |date=1998-12-04 |title=In a Rush: Gay Fraternities Spreading Across the Nation's College Campuses and Beyond (part 2) |pages=73 |work=Chicago Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-frats/128212376/ |access-date=2023-07-14 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Strickland wrote the fraternity's ritual, selected a name and its symbols, and advertised for rush. Eligible members included gay, bisexual, and progressive straight men. According to a fraternity member, a progressive male is "a person willing to accept the virtues, ideals, and truth that gay, bisexual and transgendered people feel. They are essentially straight allied members of the gay community."{{Cite news |last=Sansenbach |first=Kaitlin |date=May 1, 2013 |title=Times They Are A-Chanin': Fraternity Makes Greek Life Accessible for Males with Alternative Lifestyles |volume=66 |page= |pages=A1 and A3 |work=The State Hornet |issue=27 |url=https://jstor.org/stable/community.33319663 |access-date=July 15, 2023 |JSTOR =community.33319663 }} The fraternity was founded with 29 members and was community-based, rather than being affiliated with a university.{{Cite web |last=James |first=Susan Donaldson |date=March 29, 2007 |title=Gay Brotherhood: Antithesis of the 'Animal House' Drunken Excesses |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2990027&page=1 |access-date=2023-07-14 |website=ABC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=The History of DLP |url=https://www.dlp.org/history |access-date=July 14, 2023 |website=Delta Lambda Phi}}

The three purposes of the fraternity are:

• To develop dignified and purposeful social, service, and recreational activities for all men, irrespective of sexual orientation or gender expression;
• To lead in determining the rights and privileges of individuals in society; and,
• To present a strong and positive image that respects the diversity of all individuals.

The Washington, D.C. Area Alpha chapter was formed on April 10, 1987, with the initiation of 24 members. The fraternity was incorporated in Washington D.C. on September 10, 1987."Delta Lambda Phi Social Fraternity - Initial File Number: 873594". Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Government of the District of Columbia. Retrieved January 25, 2020. Strickland traveled to college campuses across the United States for eighteen months, working on expanding the fraternity. In April 1988 a group of gay men at University of California, Los Angeles were recognized as the first Delta Lambda Phi chapter to be affiliated with a university.Gordon, Larry (1 April 1988). "[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-01-me-624-story.html Gay Fraternity Wins Recognition From UCLA]". Los Angeles Times.{{Cite news |last= |date=1988-04-02 |title=U.C.L.A. Gets Gay Fraternity |language=en-US |pages=1.1 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/02/us/ucla-gets-gay-fraternity.html |access-date=2023-07-16 |issn=0362-4331}} This was followed by chapters at the University of California, San Diego and the University of Minnesota.{{Cite news |date=1988-09-29 |title=Minneapolist/FIrst Gay Fraternity at 'U' Holds Inauguration Ceremony to Begin School Year |pages=33 |work=Star Tribune |location=Minneapolis, Minnesota |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-tribune-minneapolistfirst-gay-frat/128191308/ |access-date=2023-07-14 |via=Newspapers.com}} The fraternity continued to add colonies and chapters across the United States, becoming "one of the nation's fastest-growing fraternities".{{Cite book |last1=Baez |first1=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y3xCgNPC26MC&dq=%22Delta+Lambda+Phi%22+-wikipedia&pg=PT304 |title=The Gay and Lesbian Guide to College Life |last2=Howd |first2=Jennifer |last3=Pepper |first3=Rachel |date=2011-11-23 |publisher=The Princetown Review / Random House Children's Books |isbn=978-0-307-94501-3 |location=New York |language=en |via=Google Books}}James, Susan Donaldson (March 29, 2007). "[https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2990027&page=1 Gay Brotherhood: Antithesis of the 'Animal House' Drunken Excesses]". ABC News. Retrieved December 4, 2013.

In August 1995, the University of Minnesota chapter opened a residential house in a former Chi Phi chapter house on fraternity row.{{Cite news |last=Livingston |first=Nancy |date=1995-11-05 |title=On-Campus House for Gay-Bisexual Fraternity is a First |pages=51 |work=The Daily Herald |location=Provo, Utah |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-herald-on-campus-house-for-gay/128208614/ |access-date=2023-07-14 |via=Newspapers.com}} This was the first chapter house for an openly gay fraternity in the United States. In 2011, the fraternity changed its charter to specifically include transgender men.{{Cite news |last=Syckle |first=Katie Van |date=2016-09-25 |title=Pledging change: the transgender college students integrating Greek life |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/25/transgender-students-fraternities-and-sororities |access-date=2023-07-15 |issn=0261-3077}} The fraternity went international with the chartering of Beta Omega chapter at McGill University in Montreal in 2012, although that chapter has since closed.{{Cite news |date=February 4, 2012 |title=The Greek Life: McGill's Delta Lambda Phi is Canada's first official gay fraternity |work=Montreal Gazette |url=https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/the-greek-life-mcgills-delta-lambda-phi-is-canadas-first-official-gay-fraternity |access-date=July 14, 2023}}{{Cite web |title=Chapters |url=https://www.dlp.org/chapters |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Delta Lambda Phi |language=en}} It established fourteen chapters between 2011 and 2014.

Delta Lambda Phi has been a member of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) since 2013. The fraternity's highest honor is the Vernon L. Strickland III Founder's Award for extraordinary service to the fraternity's brotherhood.

The Greek letters Delta ({{lang|grc|Δ}}) to represent the pink triangles that the Nazis made homosexuals wear and Lambda ({{lang|grc|Λ}}) because it is a symbol used for gay pride; however, the complete Greek meaning is known only by its members .{{Cite magazine |last=Cohen |first=Elizabeth |date=1993-09-30 |title=Chris Hunt and Delta Lambda Phi: A House with No Closets |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/chris-hunt-and-delta-lambda-phi-a-house-with-no-closets-73865/ |access-date=2023-07-16 |magazine=Rolling Stone |page=1 |language=en-US}} The fraternity's initiation ritual is also secret.

The fraternity's heraldic crest consists of a yellow shield surrounded by green elements; it contains eleven symbolic elements."[https://web.archive.org/web/20030122142815/http://dept.kent.edu/stuorg/dlp/info.html Information]. Delta Lambda Phi - Kent State Chapter. Archived from [http://dept.kent.edu/stuorg/dlp/info.html the original on 22 January 2003]". Above the shield, is a helmet that symbolized honor and knighthood.{{Cite web |date= |title=The Crest {{!}} OU Delta Lambda Phi |url=http://www.dlp.org/alphasigma/info/crest/crest2.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021227113545/http://www.dlp.org/alphasigma/info/crest/crest2.html |archive-date=2002-12-27 |access-date=2023-07-17 }} Its open visor indicates that Delta Lambda Phi is a non-secret society. The helmet is surrounded by mantling that suggests the fraternity's use of parliamentary procedure. On either side of the shield, scales symbolize the distribution of justice and the balance of social equity.{{Cite web |date= |title=About {{!}} Alpha Delta Chapter Delta Lambda Phi in San Diego, CA |url=http://dlp.org/alphadelta/about/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121211234702/http://dlp.org/alphadelta/about/ |archive-date=2012-12-11 |access-date=2023-07-15 }} On the scales to the left, two of the Greek letter Phi ({{lang|grc|Φ}}) represent the minority viewpoint; on the right, three of the Greek letter Phi ({{lang|grc|Φ}}) represent the majority viewpoint. At the top of the shield to the left, the inverted triangle is a reminder of the Nazi's persecution of gays and ongoing modern challenges. In the upper center of the crest, there are shaking hands which symbolize understanding and friendship. At the top of the shield to the right, a lowercase letter Lambda ({{lang|grc|λ}}) stands for the gay liberation movement. Below the three symbols, chevrons symbolically the shield into "an unclosed division with the past. Below the chevrons, three stars symbolize the first three chapters and the three founding purposes of the fraternity, while a burning lamp at the bottom represents ancient justice and enlightenment. Below the shield is a scroll with the fraternity's name.

The fraternity's mascot is the Lambda Centaur, which is modeled after Chiron, the only immortal centaur from Greek mythology who was regarded as gentle and wise. The fraternity's version of the centaur is younger and clean-shaven, with short hair—the "essence of masculinity". The fraternity's colors are green, gold, and white. The fraternity flower is the yellow rose.

When formed, the fraternity's slogan was, "What others try to hide in shame, we boldly embrace with pride."{{Cite news |date=2000-02-24 |title=Fraternity Finds Success Regardless of Sexual Orientations of Members |pages=2 |work=The Daily Utah Chronicle |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-utah-chronicle-fraternity-find/128216377/ |access-date=2023-07-14 |via=Newspapers.com}} The formal motto of the fraternity is "Lambda Men are Making Their Presence Known.""[http://dlp.org/blog/2012/10/02/omega-chapter-receives-ua-awards/ Omega Chapter Receives UA Awards]". Delta Lambda Phi. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2014. The fraternity's toasting song, "Delta Phi (There Once Was a Mighty Lambda Man" is as follows:

There once was a mighty Lambda man

Who lived by the sword

Crushed by the rogue hoard

With a whirl of steel he took the fight

And won the prince's heart that night{{Cite book |last=Matthews |first=Anne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qQUrCxwSYZ4C&dq=%22Delta+Lambda+Phi%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA94 |title=Bright College Years: Inside the American College Today |date=1998-09-15 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-51092-7 |page=94 |language=en |via=Google Books}}

Delta Lambda Phi's membership is open to all men, whether gay, bisexual, transgender, or straight.{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=Danielle |title=Delta Lambda Phi offers community for LGBT students, allies |url=https://thedailytexan.com/2015/12/02/delta-lambda-phi-offers-community-for-lgbt-students-allies/ |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=The Daily Texan}} Campus and multi-campus chapters are generally open to male college-aged students who live in the area. Community-based chapters do not require their members to be students.

Members are selected through a typical fraternity rush and selected bid process. Pledges are required to memorize the Greek alphabet, know the fraternity's mission, and learn the parliamentary procedure from Robert's Rules of Order. Pledges are also required to perform community service and often work with groups that have ties with the gay community.

The Delphi Foundation is a separately incorporated 501(c)(3) educational foundation and charitable arm of Delta Lambda Phi."[https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/displayAll.do?dispatchMethod=displayAllInfo&Id=5408479&ein=521900962&country=US&deductibility=all&dispatchMethod=searchAll&isDescending=false&city=&ein1=&postDateFrom=&exemptTypeCode=al&submitName=&sortColumn=orgName&totalResults=4&names=Delphi+Foundation&resultsPerPage=25&indexOfFirstRow=0&postDateTo=&state=All+State The Delphi Foundation Of Delta Lambda Phi Fraternity]". Tax Exempt Organization Search. Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved January 25, 2020.{{Cite web |title=The Delphi Foundation |url=https://www.dlp.org/delphi |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=Delta Lambda Phi |language=en}}"[https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/cor/521559804_201808_990O_2019102316773100.pdf Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax]". Delta Lambda Phi Social Fraternity Inc. Internal Revenue Service. August 31, 2018. The foundation offers academic scholarships to collegiate or alumni members. It also supports the Delta Force Leadership Academy, established in 2011.

Delta Lambda Phi is governed by its convention, which is officially the highest authority in the fraternity. The convention is held annually and, as a body, comprises two members from every active chapter, as well as alumni representatives and the fraternity's board of directors. The first convention was held in 1989 in San Francisco. The location of the convention changes from year to year and is selected by the fraternity staff.{{Cite web |title=Annual Convention |url=https://www.dlp.org/convention |access-date=July 15, 2023 |website=Delta Lambda Phi}}

The fraternity's board of directors (BOD) governs the fraternity between conventions and consists of eleven elected members, three ex officio members, and Life Members. Members who have served on the board for ten or more years can be appointed Life Member by the action of the annual convention. The executive director and general counsel are appointed by the trustees and confirmed by the board of directors. The executive director oversees the day-to-day affairs of the fraternity.

The fraternity recognizes three broad geographic regions—Eastern, Central, and Western. Each region is overseen by a regional steering committee, and also hosts two regional conferences; one in the spring, and one in the fall. Like the location of the Convention, regional conference locations are generally rotated."[https://web.archive.org/web/20090413234234/http://sites.dlp.org/sites/national/organizational-structure/ Organizational Structure]". Delta Lambda Phi National Social Fraternity. Archived from [https://sites.dlp.org/sites/national/organizational-structure/ the original] on 13 April 2009.

The Corporate Brother-Pledge Relations Policy states that brothers and pledges may not engage in "extra-fraternal relations" during the rush and pledge education periods. The policy aims to ensure that bid distribution remains fair, that pledge education is focused on platonic fraternal bonding, and that the risk of sexual harassment is minimized.O'Callaghan, Erin (20 January 2011). "[http://www.mcgilldaily.com/2011/01/fraternity-for-gay-students-to-recruit-new-members/ Fraternity for gay students to recruit new members]". McGill Daily. Retrieved 4 December 2013. No corporate policy prohibits two members from engaging in extra-fraternal relations after they become brothers. Because the student-teacher relationship that existed during the pledge education process no longer exists, all brothers are regarded as peers and are simply encouraged to exercise their best judgment."[https://web.archive.org/web/20100106193600/http://sodb.stuorg.iastate.edu/data/949/1242151981.doc Constitution]". Delta Lambda Phi Colony, University of Texas. Archived from [http://utep.collegiatelink.net/organization/deltalambdaphi/DocumentLibrary/View/45275 the original] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425092415/http://utep.collegiatelink.net/organization/deltalambdaphi/DocumentLibrary/View/45275 |date=2012-04-25 }} on 4 December 2013."[http://sodb.stuorg.iastate.edu/data/949/1242151981.doc Constitution] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106193600/http://sodb.stuorg.iastate.edu/data/949/1242151981.doc |date=2010-01-06 }}". 'Delta Lambda Phi Colony, Iowa State University. Retrieved 4 December 2013.

Sexual relationships between brothers and pledges are forbidden. The policy governing these relationships is the Corporate Brother-Pledge Relations Policy, known informally as the "Hands-Off Policy". The policy has existed in various forms since the early years of the fraternity, and it was codified and adopted by the national convention in 1998.

{{Main|List of Delta Lambda Phi chapters}}

Delta Lambda Phi has three types of chapters: campus-based, multi-campus based, and community-based. As of 2025, it has eight active chapters and three colonies.

Founded in 2003, the Delta Lambda Phi Alumni Association (DLPAA) is governed by an elected board of directors."[http://www.dlp.org/alumni/ Delta Lambda Phi Alumni] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060319194641/http://www.dlp.org/alumni/ |date=2006-03-19 }}". Delta Lambda Phi. Retrieved 15 January 2014.{{Cite web |date=2022-01-18 |title=About Us {{!}} Alumni Association |url=https://dlp.org/alumni/home/dlp-alumni-association-aac/ |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=Delta Lambda Phi Alumni Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118073841/https://dlp.org/alumni/home/dlp-alumni-association-aac/ |archive-date=2022-01-18 |via=Wayback Machine}} The DLPAA also allows for the creation of local alumni associations (LAAs). LAAs can be either in support of a specific chapter or location-based. Following is a list of Delta Lambda Phi alumni chapters.{{Cite web |date=2022-01-18 |title=Local Alumni Associations {{!}} Alumni Association |url=https://dlp.org/alumni/associations/ |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=Delta Lambda Phi Alumni Association |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118075654/https://dlp.org/alumni/associations/ |archive-date=2022-01-18 |via=Wayback Machine}}

• Henry Berg-Brousseau (Alpha Second) – transgender rights activist{{Cite news |last=Tumin |first=Remy |date=2022-12-23 |title=Kentucky Lawmaker Speaks Out About Transgender Son's Suicide |language=en-US |page=A19 |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/23/us/henry-berg-brousseau-transgender-activist-dead.html |access-date=2023-07-15 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Woodward |first=Alex |date=2023-06-30 |title=She lost her transgender son to suicide. She isn't giving up fighting for him |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/karen-berg-kentucky-transgender-rights-b2365356.html |access-date=2023-07-15 |website=The Independent |language=en}}
• Todd Gloria (Alpha Delta) – mayor of San Diego
• Chip Sarafin (Alpha Alpha) – firstly openly gay professional football player{{Cite web |date=August 14, 2014 |title=Alpha Alpha Brother Becomes First Openly Gay Major College Football Player {{!}} Delta Lambda Phi |url=http://dlp.org/blog/2014/08/14/alpha-alpha-brother-becomes-first-openly-gay-major-college-football-player/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020074241/http://dlp.org/blog/2014/08/14/alpha-alpha-brother-becomes-first-openly-gay-major-college-football-player/ |archive-date=2014-10-20 |access-date=2023-07-15 }}

{{Portal|LGBTQ}}

• List of LGBTQ and LGBTQ-friendly fraternities and sororities
• List of social fraternities

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.dlp.org/ Delta Lambda Phi website]
• "[https://books.google.com/books?id=kmQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Delta+Lambda+Phi%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA18 Greek For Discrimination]" (The Advocate, June 2011)

{{Fraternities and Sororities |collapsed}}

{{North American Interfraternity Conference}}

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