Posted on 12/13/2005 3:30:51 PM PST by rface
....his brothers mentioned wanting to join a fraternity, encouragement from parents to get involved with Greek life and curiosity about being involved in a fraternity.....Delta Lambda Phi is not a “gay club” or a dating service ........
After two attempts, Delta Lambda Phi, a fraternity for gay, bisexual and open-minded men, is coming to MU. The group will be recognized as a colony by the national fraternity — a big step to becoming a chapter — when it inducts its Alpha class on Friday as part of a three-day celebration.
The vice president of the national fraternity, chapter representatives from Kansas State University, Iowa State University, the University of Missouri-Rolla and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, and fraternity members from chapters throughout the Midwest will be in town for the induction.
“I’m extremely excited — extremely,” said Joe Blowmaster, president of MU’s colony.
Blowmaster, who is in the Alpha class, is a junior at Westminster College in Fulton, but he will take six credit hours at MU next semester and later transfer so that he can remain in the fraternity.
“The trust is unbelievable, from just friends to true brotherhood,” Bowmaster said.
Blowmaster is one of eight members in the Alpha class. In talking about why they joined Delta Lambda Phi, his brothers mentioned wanting to join a fraternity, encouragement from parents to get involved with Greek life and curiosity about being involved in a fraternity.
For Eric Arevalo, joining Delta Lambda Phiwas about finding the shoe that fits.
“I really like the idea of belonging to a group that has a common interest like me,” said Arevalo, a senior at MU. “That’s not something I see often.”
The fraternity is open to all men. The key is that members take an interest in Delta Lambda Phi.
“It’s a fraternity, not a gay fraternity,” Blowmaster said. “It’s truly a brotherhood, and that is what we are trying to get across.”
Delta Lambda Phi began in Washington, D.C, in 1987, under the goal of establishing a fraternity that does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Nationally, the fraternity recognizes 18 chapters, 10 colonies and eight prospective colonies.
“It’s been kicked around here for several years,” said Dustin Hampton, vice president of the colony and a senior at MU. “My hall coordinator freshman year was an alumni of Delta Lambda Phi, and that’s what got me interested in it.”
The two attempts to start a chapter at MU, in 2000-01 and 2003-04, failed because potential members couldn’t generate enough interest.
“There were different people; there have been more of us dedicated to the cause this time around,” Hampton said.
To be recognized as a chapter, the colony must induct Alpha, Beta and Gamma classes and apply with MU’s InterFraternity Council. Rush for the Beta class will begin in the third week of January.
A fraternity house, however, is a much more distant goal.
“It’s a nice thought,” Hampton said.
Bowmaster hopes to see Delta Lambda Phi grow into a strong fraternity at MU, with members of all sexual orientations. He stresses that Delta Lambda Phi is not a “gay club” or a dating service and points to the fraternity’s hands-off policy.
“We have a strict rule, nationally and locally, that does not allow for any physical affection shown between pledges or between pledges and actives,” he said.
The amount and nature of exposure to Greek life varies with each colony member.
“I remember walking by one of the fraternities, holding hands with my boyfriend of the time, and they just stared at me,” Arevalo said. “I didn’t feel comfortable — they were just sitting there laughing.”
Jedd Mitchell, a freshman, said he has close friends within the Greek community.
“Never have I ever felt threatened,” Mitchell said. “I just tend to tune out those things and see the good.”
Hampton said he hopes having a Delta Lambda Phi presence at MU will help change opinions and open minds. He said he guesses that many people who hate gays or bisexuals have never, at least to their knowledge, met someone who is.
“A lot of fraternities are really great, they don’t discriminate and have openly gay members, while other fraternities say that but do discriminate,” Hampton said. “I see our role as being educational: How can you hate someone if you’ve never met them?”
A portion of this report first aired Monday during “News at 10” on KMIZ/Channel 17 ABC, Columbia.
I'm ashamed to be an alum of Mizzou.
I don't even want to imagine what the "Little Sisters" look like.
Graduated Somea Cum loudly.
Sometimes the jokes just write themselves..
I guess they're not concerned about diversity...
oooops. That must be a typo from me formatting this article
Brigs new meaning to a Chapter "Bitch Circle".
>>I bet the Pledge Night party is an eye-opener. <<
It IS kinda easy...it's not like they have to invite anyone else.
You won't have to tell the pledges to "assume the position" twice.
This is satire right?Some guy named Joe Blowmaster wanting to get into the Greek life is too far out to be believed.
Their dance parties are probably pretty good, but their attrition rate of alumni means that you have to get donations early after graduation.
Sounds like a chapter office, not a person.
A bathhouse on campus. What will they think of next!
In order to minimize illicit behavior, only guests of the opposit sex can remain on premisis after 10 pm.
All I can say is 'Oh, bugger!"
Blow-Master.
Thats about as far as I`d care to go with this.
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