50 Winners Who Are Helping Others Win: #6 Delta Phi Upsilon

National Youth Pride Services is pleased to announce it’s Third Annual list of 50 Winners Who Are Helping Others Win. At NYPS we teach and believe that winners are those who help others win. We asked our members from all over the country to cjoose 50 people, of their choosing, who they feel are helping others win.

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“Building Better Brothers”
Delta Phi Upsilon, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for Gay Men of Color, was founded at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida on January 15, delta-phi-upsilon-greek-letters1985. The organization’s particular purpose is to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards among gay men of color. Its vision is for gay men of color to have their own bond of brotherhood.

Health Awareness
The fraternity has given distinct priority to increasing and heightening the awareness and level of concern regarding the prevention of HIV/AIDS, Alcohol & Abuse and Date Rape.

We must seek to make a difference in those statistics, which report an increase in HIV/AIDS infection among gay men. Through our Project Prevention we shall provide workshops and seminars featuring: specialists in the medical field, persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWA’s), community organizations and others who are very knowledgeable and concerned about this topic. We shall also: host risk reduction workshops, testing drives at agencies that target the Black and Hispanic gay community and educate our people on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

Education
As America’s first Black Gay Fraternity, Delta Phi Upsilon must put forth a winning strategy whose result will be the encouragement of young black gay men to return to, or enroll in a degree seeking program at a college, university, or school. Through programs in education ranging from tutorial services to literacy initiatives and the awarding of scholarships and grants, chapters shall meet this national goal. 3-GreekDeltaPhiUpsilon

Leadership Conference/Political Empowerment
Across the country we shall engage in activities designed to develop our political acumen, monitor the legislative process, support gay positive legislation, and inform the gay community of color of upcoming events. Through Project WATCHCARE we shall support and fight for: the legalization of same-sex marriage and the elimination of discrimination in housing, employment and life.

History and Heritage
Our challenge is the lack of knowledge about the roots of gay history, limited research on the contribution of gays of color to society and a lack of appreciation of gay history. We will meet those challenges with events, which broaden one’s awareness of the past, and expresses our appreciation of black gay icons and their contributions. Two main aspects of the History and Heritage thrust are:

brotherhood-441x269The Lambda Seminar: Recognizing the need for enhancing the quality of black gay life, the Lambda Seminar is designed to study those issues – discrimination, hate crimes, sexually transmitted diseases, alcoholism—that are relevant to black gay life and will be used by Reaching the World through Service to Our Kind
Project IMAGE: a biblical verse states; “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about you.” Using the credo, “Because Image is Everything”, our Delta’s work to be positive role models to our black gay men, by replacing the negative stereotypes held about gay people with positive ones.

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