Greek life is meant to be an exciting, empowering part of your college career. When you pledge a Greek organization, your whole college experience changes. You find like-minded people who share the same values that you hold close, and it’s like a home away from home. But for queer folks, traditional Greek life can feel intimidating. While many mainstream Greek organizations are inclusive and accepting of their queer members, there are also organizations specifically created for the LGBTQ+ community.
LGBTQ+ Greek organizations have been around since the 1980s, and span across many universities in the United States. Since then, interest and participation in these organizations have only grown. For many students, joining these orgs means finding chosen family in places where they never expected to. “Throughout my higher education experience, I thought that Greek Life wasn’t for me,” says Sarah Canty, a recent graduate of George Mason University and member of Gamma Rho Lambda, a queer Greek organization. “Being actively in community with other Queer people has made me confident that you can always find a place where you are supported as yourself.”
Unlike traditional Greek life organizations that may be on your campus, many LGBTQ+ Greek orgs allow folks from all walks of life to join — not just college students. So, if you’re looking for a place in Greek life as a queer person, here are five LGBTQ+ Greek organizations to have on your radar.
- Gamma Rho Lambda National Sorority
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Founded at Arizona State University in 2003, Gamma Rho Lambda now spans across eight campuses in the United States. Gamma Rho Lambda distinguishes itself from many other LGBTQ+ Greek orgs because it is open to women of all gender identities and sexual orientations. It tailors itself specifically to collegiate women.
- Theta Pi Sigma
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Founded at the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2005, Theta Pi Sigma is known as the first all-gender Greek organization. Here, members can form tight-knit friendships with other queer individuals and enjoy LGBTQ+ social events, including queer prom.
- Alpha Pi Delta Sorority
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Alpha Pi Delta is well known for its philanthropy, the C.A.L.L.A. Ladies (the Cultured, Astute, Loving, Leading, Academic Ladies). While not present on college campuses, APD is open to all individuals who identify as women at the national level.
- Alpha Lambda Zeta Fraternity
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Alpha Lambda Zeta was founded in 2006, and is an organization for “masculine-identified lesbians” based on five principles: fraternal sisterhood, political activism, community volunteerism, erudition, and professionalism. One of their philanthropies is the Lambda Action Network, a national community service initiative that provides services such as LGBTQ+ youth mentoring. This national professional fraternity isn’t just involved in service — they’re also down for political activism as well.
- Kappa Alpha Lambda Sorority, Inc. (KALSI)
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KALSI has a five-facet philanthropy program, including civil equality for LGBTQ+ people, diversity and tolerance education, health awareness, economic empowerment, and leadership preparation and development. Founded at Clark Atlanta University in 2003, this organization prides itself on being the only LGBTQ+ organization to develop a financial education program.