Nine men are trying to establish the school as the second Florida university with a chapter of a predominantly gay fraternity.
By STEPHANIE HAYES
Published October 12, 2003
TAMPA - They discussed events typical of campus fraternity and sorority life: a Halloween party, a school play, a meet-and-greet with other greek organizations.
Then they talked about something a bit less typical: Gay skate night at a local rink, the United Skates of America.
So it went at a recent meeting of college men interested in joining Delta Lambda Phi, a college fraternity predominantly made up of homosexual and bisexual men.
The nine students are trying to start a chapter at the University of South Florida, which would become the second Florida university to have a predominantly gay fraternity.
The would-be Deltas have been dealing with several issues: Should fraternity brothers be allowed to date one another? How will they fit into greek life on campus? Might they face a backlash?
"Ever since I was a little kid, I kind of wanted to be in college and do the whole fraternity thing, but I always knew I was a little bit different," member Jayson Cardillo said. "This is the first fraternity that I actually found that will accept me for who I am."
Delta Lambda Phi, founded in 1987, has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. A few USF students started their group in April, and they say interest is growing around campus.
Later this month, they expect Delta Lambda Phi's national board to approve their petition to become a fraternity colony, the level below a chapter. They can become a chapter after three pledge periods.
To be recognized as a fraternity on campus, Delta Lambda Phi must win approval from USF's Unified Greek and Interfraternity councils. Those boards have been supportive to this point, but denial is not unheard of.
Last year, Delta Lambda Phi was denied endorsement at Kent State University after getting only four affirmative votes on the Ohio school's 15-member Interfraternity Council. It finally won endorsement this fall.
"Bringing DLP to USF has been an effort to get this far, but I also think it is one of the best things for USF," group president Adam Miramon said.
A gay lifestyle is not a requirement. Delta Lambda Phi is open to straight students as well. Members say they don't ask.
Members can't date one another while they're pledging. The fraternity's national board has a strict "hands-off policy" banning sexual or romantic relationships between a pledge and a brother during a pledge period. The USF group also has decided to prohibit relationships among members of pledge classes.
Once pledges become full-fledged fraternity brothers, there's nothing to stop them from dating one another.
"But that is no different than if you had met them at the Spanish Club, if you had met them in the French Club, or you had met them at church or any other organization," Miramon said.
The men range in age from 18 to 34 and differ in size, race, speech and style of dress. Some have disabilities.
"We're just caring about what you have to offer on the inside, more than "Are you gay, are you straight, are you Jewish, are you any of that stuff,' " member Javaris Hammond said.
Predominantly gay greek organizations are slowly spreading across the country, but Florida is mostly a stranger to the phenomenon.
Delta Lambda Phi has 18 chapters and eight colonies nationwide, but there's only one colony in this state, at Florida International University in Miami.
Beta Phi Omega, a predominantly lesbian sorority, had a chapter at Florida State University in Tallahassee but didn't register with the school this year, according to FSU.
In the college world of traditionally conservative greek organizations and macho fraternal stereotypes, the guys of Delta Lambda Phi are abiding by one of the fraternity mottos: "Make your presence known."
But will that presence be welcomed?
In 2000 at the University of Cincinnati, someone repeatedly ripped off Delta Lambda Phi's name tag from the group's mailbox. And the murder of openly gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard in 1998 still resonates, though he wasn't in a greek organization.
As the group has assumed a higher profile on the USF campus, Miramon has advised members not to walk alone at night and to be extra alert.
For some, that's no big deal.
"If you ask most women on campus, they would tell you that they wouldn't walk across campus by themselves either," member Michael Gipson said.
There are encouraging signs of acceptance.
"I'm really supportive of it," said student body vice president Ryan Morris, a Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity member. "I'm curious to see how they'll interact with the other fraternities and sororities. I think it will mesh great."
That meshing - finding a place in the network of dyed-in-the-wool greek life on campus and carving a niche in the amalgam of mixers, formals, letters and rushing - will be another challenge.
"From my experience, I have seen enough support from the other greek organizations that I believe that we will be able to offer USF a more diverse greek community," Miramon said.
The group hopes to eventually claim a house in the new USF Greek Village. They want to partner with other fraternities and sororities on social and service events.
"I think there may be a little resistance initially," Miramon said, "but I think once they get to know who we are and what we're about, that will change."
- Times researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report. Stephanie Hayes can be reached at 813 269-5303 or shayes@sptimes.com
