Delta lambda phi

Intro

In 1986, the Gay Community was in crisis; HIV and AIDS were spreading rapidly and claiming many lives. In 1986, Director of the World Health Organization Dr. H. Mahler announced, “as many as 10 million people worldwide could already be infected with HIV” (www.avert.org/aids-history-86.htm). In the midst of all this moral panic surrounding HIV and homosexuality, three elderly men decided to create a social fraternity that did not discriminate based on sexual orientation. These men created this trust and set out to create this fraternity because they had not encountered anything like it during their years as young men. One of these original trustees, Vernon L. Strickland, III, set out to create the crest, mascot, and rituals that would come to represent the fraternity. Strickland officially founded Delta Lambda Phi on October 15th, 1986 in Washington D.C. In April of the following year, “Strickland initiated 24 men into the Fraternity’s Alpha Chapter - Delta Lambda Phi was born”(dlp.org). Since these first days of the organization’s establishment, the fraternity has grown rapidly and has become “one of the country’s fastest growing fraternities with chapters from coast to coast”(dlp.org).

Purposes

The three definitive purposes the founders set out the create Delta Lambda Phi, as stated on their website are:

• To develop dignified and purposeful, social, service, and recreational activities for progressive men, irrespective of sexual orientation.
• To lead in determining the rights and privileges of individuals in society.
• To promote a strong and positive image, which respects the diversity of all individuals, irrespective of sexual orientation. (dlp.org/sites/national/about/)

The aims of this fraternity are unique because they challenge the most common stereotypes of college fraternities. Instead of discriminating based on sexual orientation and perpetuating homophobic attitudes, like many fraternities are believed to do, Delta Lambda Phi has made it its mission to accept all men regardless of sexual orientation. The fraternity states that, “all men, regardless of age, race, socioeconomic background, religion, or sexual orientation, are welcome to apply for membership” (dlp.org/sites/national/frequently-asked-questions). Some have asked why Delta Lambda Phi only accepts men into its organization. The fraternity remains non-coed because “if straight men can have a “traditional” (i.e., non-coed) Greek experience, gay men should be able to have it as well” (dlp.org/sites/national/frequently-asked-questions). Still, some believe that the organization is wrong in excluding people when the gay community stresses inclusion so heavily. In response to this, the Fraternity has said “the specific mission of Delta Lambda Phi — to form bonds of Brotherhood between gay men — precludes us from having an “open-door” policy” (dlp.org/sites/national/frequently-asked-questions). Therefore, there could not be a “brotherhood” formed if the organization accepted everyone.

Another criticism of Delta Lambda Phi is that the members are being assimilationists. What this means is that they are seeking inclusion with heteronormative society by creating a fraternity modeled after organizations that are often heterosexual exclusive and perpetuate heterosexist ideals. In their response to this, Delta Lambda Phi stated that they “simply feel that any thing a straight man can be able to do, a gay man should be able to do — that includes going Greek” (dlp.org/sites/national/frequently-asked-questions). They also offered examples of heterosexual-dominated institutions in which homosexuals can be included, such as the Olympics. They argue that homosexuals who participate in the Olympics are not being assimilationists therefore neither are members of Delta Lambda Phi. Delta Lambda Phi is a nation-wide fraternity. The fraternity currently has chapters in Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Washington (dlp.org/sites/national/chapters/). Delta Lambda Phi also has unofficial chapters, or “colonies,” in Arizona, California, Florida, Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas. These “colonies” are not given Greek letters like regular chapters of the fraternity because they are in training towards becoming a real chapter.

Chapters

Here is a complete list of all Delta Lambda Phi chapters, their Greek letter, and what university and state they are located at:

• Alpha Chapter - Washington, DC
• Gamma Chapter - University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
• Delta Chapter - University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• Xi Chapter - University of California, Davis, Davis, CA
• Rho Chapter - California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
• Psi Chapter - University of Washington, Seattle, WA
• Omega Chapter - University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
• Alpha Beta Chapter - Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Alpha Delta Chapter - San Diego, CA
• Alpha Psi Chapter - Kent State University, Kent, OH
• Beta Alpha Chapter - North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
• Beta Delta Chapter - Florida International University, Miami, FL
• Beta Zeta Chapter - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL
• Beta Iota Chapter - Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
• Beta Lambda Chapter - Iowa State University, Ames, IA
• Beta Mu Chapter - Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
• Beta Nu Chapter - Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO
• Beta Xi Chapter - New York University, New York, NY
• Beta Omicron Chapter - University of Toledo, Toledo, OH
• Beta Pi Chapter - California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, CA

Symbols

Just like any other fraternity, Delta Lambda Phi has Fraternity Symbols. The Fraternity’s colors are green, white, and gold. Their fraternity flower is the yellow rose, as pictured above. The organization’s motto is “Lambda men are making their presence known!” The Fraternity’s cheer is “Lambda men all the time” (dlp.org/sites/national/fraternity-symbols/).

Delta Lambda Phi’s crest has many hidden symbols in it. For example, the helmet at the top of the crest represents knighthood and a code of honor. The helmet’s visor is open because the Fraternity is a non-secret society. The mantling represents the organization’s use of parliamentary procedure. The scales on either side of the crest represent balance of social equity and the distribution of justice. The two phi symbols on the left scale represents the minority viewpoint and the three phi symbols on the right scale represent the majority viewpoint. The three stars on the crest represent the first three chapters (Alpha, Washington, DC; Beta, San Diego, CA; and Gamma, UCLA). The top star represents the Alpha Chapter. The burning lamp represents enlightenment and ancient justice. The two pointed stripes on the crest, called a chevron, represent an “unclosed division with the past.” The past are the accomplishments made by gay, bisexual, and progressive men including creating organizations such as Delta Lambda Phi. The inverted triangle represents the persecution of gays by the Nazi’s during the Holocaust and the lowercase lambda symbolizes the gay rights movement (dlp.org/sites/national/fraternity-symbols).

Delta Lambda Phi’s mascot is the Lambda Centaur. Unlike the centaurs of Greek mythology, who where “symbolic of chaos and unbridled passions, Delta Lambda Phi's centaur is modeled after Chiron and represents honor, moderation and tempered masculinity”(www.artandpopularculture.com/Centaur). The position the centaur is in is also symbolic. According to Delta Lambda Phi’s website, “the straining, extended hand of the Lambda Centaur as he reaches for those experiences just beyond his grasp reemphasizes the enduring internal and external strength of the Lambda Man”(dlp.org/sites/national/fraternity-symbols).