The first ever gay fraternity in Canada launches Saturday at Montreal's McGill University.
The new frat, Delta Lambda Phi, will accept gay and bisexual men as well as any other men that want to join. It is one of 32 chapters and colonies of Delta Lambda Phi but is the first born outside of the United States.
McGill students and other fraternities at the school have given the Quebec chapter a warm welcome. However, a minor issue arose with Queer McGill.
The campus group voiced concern over the wording of an email sent out by DLP to recruit members, said president of DLP Michael Dalimonte. In the message the frat invited all males or individuals who self-identify as male to join.
"(Members of Queer McGill) weren't pleased with the fact that we differentiated between males and transgendered males," Dalimonte explained. "But we have smoothed everything over. We are looking to actually collaborate with them in the future."
Like other frats, DLP is planning to take on philanthropic endeavors, Dalimonte said. The group also recruits members through a rush week, where they get to know pledges during a series of events.
"We're not as different as you might think," Dalimonte said. "We do follow the same core values of most fraternities."
Still DLP's dating policy is a little bit different. Although the group hasn't put any restrictions on romantic relationships between brothers, they aren't encouraged, said founding president Sam Reisler.
"At heart it's a fraternal organization and the goal definitely isn't any romantic relations," Reisler said.
"That being said we are human and we are going to be spending a lot of time with these people ... it does kind of make sense that you might spark a certain relationship or connection with one of those people."
