Frequently Asked Questions
Chapters & Membership
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Where are the chapters of Gamma Rho Lambda located?
We currently have 8 active chapters throughout the United States. To learn more, including their contact information, visit our Chapters page.
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What benefit does a student derive by joining your sorority?
GRL members join for a variety of reasons. Some of the benefits that come with being a member of Gamma Rho Lambda include:
- Life-long friendship
- Scholastic assistance
- Social events
- Leadership skills
- Professional growth
Each member of the siblinghood has an opportunity to invest their time and efforts to gain whatever they want out of the experience.
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To what degree is your membership diverse in regards to sexual orientation?
GRL’s membership is open to siblings of all sexual orientations, and our membership reflects this diversity.
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What kind of social events or exchanges does the sorority do?
On the local level, each chapter participates in many activiites, which often include:
- Social events with other sororities or fraternities
- Athletic events
- Bowling nights
- Barbeques and potlucks
- Board game nights
- Annual banquets
- Camping trips
- Volunteer work
- And more!
Nationally, the organization is more business-oriented, though the friendships gained at the college level typically extend into post-college GRL life. Gamma Rho Lambda also hosts an annual convention where both collegiate and alum members get the chance to meet and socialize.
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Is there any sort of rule against dating within the sorority?
The national and local policies prohibit dating between new new members and also between new members and active siblings, unless said members are already in a relationship before the recruitment and new member process.
Once the members have achieved the status of siblinghood, the organization does not have any dating policies.
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Do chapters have any hardships becoming a group or a part of the Greek system on their campuses?
Developing a student organization is a challenging endeavor. Developing a Greek sorority in a collegiate setting is a bit more complicated. One big challenge the organization has faced across the board at a local level is nurturing GRL’s vision with a fraction of the people many other sororities have.
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Do you accept straight women and transgender individuals into your organization?
GRL welcomes college students of all genders, sexualities, and identities to join the organization.
Learn more about our gender eligibility policy.
History
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What is the history of Gamma Rho Lambda?
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.
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Does GRL have a mission statement?
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.
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Are there other LGBTQIA+ sororities? If so, how are you different, and why start your own instead of expanding an existing org?
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.
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How did you choose the Greek letters Gamma Rho Lambda?
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.
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What are the misconceptions people have regarding your sorority?
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.
LGBTQIA+
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What is the interaction/dynamic between you and organizations like Sigma Phi Beta and Delta Lambda Phi (GBTQA fraternities)?
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.
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What kind of struggles or instances of homophobia and transphobia have you faced or are you facing?
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.
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How do you respond to those who think LGBTQIA+ sororities are a form of self-segregation, and who believe members would be better off joining "straight" houses and inspiring change from within?
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.
Support
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How can I support GRL even though I’m not a student?
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.