LGBT group returns to Duquesne; Duquesne Duke, 11/5/15

Zachary Landau, Duquesne Duke; LGBT group returns to Duquesne:

"After more than a year of inactivity, Duquesne’s gay-straight alliance is functional once again.

The group, also known as Lambda, held its first meeting since 2013 on Oct. 22. Co-Presidents Hunter Ackley, 19, pharmacy student, and Rachel Coury, 20, psychology major, are thrilled with the response they have received thus far...

Originally founded in 2005, the group experienced a decline in leadership until it ceased operations in 2013, according to member Niko Martini.

“I almost think that maybe [Lambda] was dormant because people are intimidated by the fact that they’re on a Catholic campus,” Coury said, “but it hasn’t been an issue now that we’ve formed.”

According to the co-presidents, Lambda’s goal is to create a positive and supportive environment for LGBT students at Duquesne, where they have faced adversity in the past...

Lambda’s co-presidents said they would like to team up with other gay-straight alliances in the area, such as the University of Pittsburgh’s GSA, to find ways to support their members."