Queer sorority Gamma Rho Lambda is seeking to add a chapter at UCCS. If the chapter gets enough support, it could be recognized as UCCS’ first gender inclusive and queer oriented sorority by the 2025-26 school year.
Kyle-Leigh Fitzwater is an alumni from the Gamma Rho Lambda chapter at the University of Iowa and a current UCCS student who’s looking to add the chapter at UCCS. She plans to graduate from UCCS in spring 2025 with a master’s degree in criminal justice.
Starting last spring, Fitzwater has been petitioning for UCCS to induct Gamma Rho Lambda. The sorority could be an official chapter at UCCS this next academic year if she can find 15 dedicated students to be in the chapter by the end of this upcoming spring. Even after her graduation, Fitzwater wants to continue be a mentor for the aspiring UCCS chapter.
Gamma Rho Lambda was established in 2003 and expanded nationwide quickly, with 18 inducted chapters in 2019. Now, Gamma Rho Lambda has only eight active chapters located in Arizona, Virginia, Texas, Iowa, California and Louisiana.
“We definitely took a hit with COVID … Quite a few chapters actually ended up closing, but we’re starting to go back up again, getting more numbers now that people are finding time to really dedicate focus again,” Fitzwater said.
Gamma Rho Lambda is accepting of all people, including lesbian women, gay men, transgender people, non-binary people and allies. “I would love to see [Gamma Rho Lambda] continue to reach the people that it needs to.”
Fitzwater highlighted the need for welcoming and accepting spaces for queer people in Colorado Springs, especially following events that have caused queer spaces to close or relocate.
In November of 2022, a mass shooting that killed five people and injured 25 happened at a gay bar three miles away from UCCS called Club Q. The club closed its doors after the shooting. In March, the bar’s owner temporarily relocated the bar to a hotel in southeast Colorado Springs, calling the new location The Q, according to a KRDO article.
In December of 2023, a fire at a neighboring business caused downtown gay bar, ICONS, to permanently relocate. The new location’s grand opening will be Nov. 8, according to their website.
“There is such a need for welcoming and accepting spaces in this community, especially after the Club Q shooting and the fire that happened at Icons. We’ve lost a lot of spaces to connect,” Fitzwater said.
Gamma Rho Lambda plans to host several fundraisers on campus if inducted. The sorority raises money for the TREVOR Project, a charity that supports LGBTQ+ youth. They also raise money to make the sorority more accessible for members, allowing the fees per semester to be as low as $200.
Fundraisers include an annual drag show and a sex education summit, which teaches alternative sexual education concepts, including kink awareness, AIDS prevention and general queer sexual health knowledge.
Fitzwater encourages all students to get involved in Greek life. She said that there are types of fraternities and sororities that fit all demographics.
“Sororities and fraternities are such … welcoming space[s] in and out of school, and Gamma Rho Lambda is that family connection that a lot of queer individuals miss. It’s never too late to get involved. You can up until you graduate,” Fitzwater said.
Students interested in joining Gamma Rho Lambda can reach out to Fitzwater at [email protected].
Gamma Rho Lambda logo. Photo courtesy of Gamma Rho Lambda.