Frequently Asked Questions

Gamma Rho Lambda, Alpha Chapter, was founded in Fall 2003 by 12 members at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. The multicultural sorority was originally established as a social support system for lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and alternative lifestyle-friendly female students. 

Embodying an open and diverse environment for all its members, the sorority strove to break down barriers between the LGBTQIA+ community and the greater community.

Shortly afterward, the organization opened its membership to include becoming a social support system for multicultural cis and trans women, trans men, and gender-variant students of all sexualities, as well as LGBTQIA+ ally female students. The need for diversity and inclusion expanded across several realms of the organization and has been a primary focus of our National Council ever since.

You can learn more about our history on our About page.

Gamma Rho Lambda is an all-inclusive social sorority exemplifying the qualities of tolerance, diversity, unity, and trust, which provides a network of assistance in the areas of scholastic guidance, emotional support, and community service while ultimately developing lifelong family bonds.

Yes, there are other LGBTQIA+ sororities in the US. Most meet at least one of the following characteristics:

• Exclusive to women of a particular race
• Exclusive to lesbians or women of a particular sexual orientation
• Community-based (not exclusive to college students)
• Limited to being associated with a specific council mandated by the National Sorority (such as the Multicultural Greek Council or the Panhellenic Council)
• Not a social sorority

GRL is open to all potential members of all races. We are an organization that is tailored to meet the needs of members in the collegiate setting. We're also distinctive in that our mission is focusing on providing social support to our members. We strive for multiculturalism, diversity, and inclusion.

The Lambda symbol was adopted by New York City’s Gay Activists Alliance in the 1970’s during the Stonewall Revolution. Since then, the Lambda has spread as a symbol for the LGBTQIA+ equality movement. Because of its history, the Lambda was chosen to be a letter in the sorority’s Greek name. 

The Gamma and Rho symbols were chosen because with the Lambda symbol, they spell GRL (“girl”), which aligned with our origins as a safe space for all women before our mission expanded to include our transmasculine and gender non-conforming siblings.

Some people have expressed misconceptions about the acceptance of the sorority within the local Greek system. GRL was lucky that Alpha Chapter was able to benefit from the extraordinarily supportive ASU Panhellenic Council and ASU administration. Alpha Chapter has since shifted their umbrella council group to the Multicultural Council, which is continuing to support them. Beta Chapter also gained extensive support from both their Multicultural Council and the university’s LGBTQIA+ organization.

Many people are also confused as to what Greek Life is. Greek Life is designed to promote a well-rounded college experience with community service, as well as social, athletic, educational, risk management, and campus events. This nurturing and social environment is definitively what Greek Life is in place for. GRL takes advantage of the Greek Life structure and includes LBTQIA+ support within its own mission and values. GRL has an extremely diverse siblinghood and strives to nurture this diversity.

Sigma Phi Beta was instrumental in helping GRL in the initial stages of founding Alpha Chapter and served as an advisor to Alpha Chapter early in their development. Seeing Sigma Phi’s success at ASU was also a daily reminder of the fact that GRL’s goal was achievable. Since expanding to campuses with similarly-focused fraternities, GRL often partners with these fraternities for social, educational, and philanthropic events.

GRL’s individual members face homophobia and transphobia within their families, work environments, and classrooms every day. It is the goal of Gamma Rho Lambda to support their members in the face of these intolerances and also help the community better understand tolerance and diversity in all of its forms. By our mission and growth, we strive to be part of bridging the gap between the LGBTQIA+ community and the greater community.

An important part of the coming out process for many LGBTQIA+ individuals is gaining confidence in their identity and finding acceptance and support in their community. Many benefit from socializing with other members of the LGBTQIA+ community as a part of this process. This type of support is one of the singular opportunities that GRL provides for collegiate members, a focus no other national sorority claims.

As an organization, we love to hear from LGBTQIA+ students who have become members of existing sororities on campuses across the country. We fully support students who feel comfortable taking that route. We understand we're not right for every student seeking Greek life, even if they consider themselves a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

We're not a political organization; we're an organization that focuses on social environments and social growth. Ultimately, some students may be better off joining another sorority, but there are many who find GRL is the best Greek org for them.

There are always ways to contribute even if you’re not an active member of Gamma Rho Lambda. GRL has an honorary membership for people who contribute greatly to the goals and mission of the sorority. We've also recently secured our Foundation and hope to connect with sponsors and donors soon!

Positive media, articles, and news reports also help greatly. If you are not a student and would like more information on how to contribute to our organization, please contact us.