MESA, Ariz. (AP) – The students who formed Sigma Phi Beta six years ago wanted a social scene for gay men at Arizona State University the same as straight students have enjoyed for decades. They didn’t intend to help the spread of gay organizations within Greek life at universities across the state and nation.

But this fall, the Arizona State University chapter will expand as it organizes a Sigma Phi Beta chapter at Northern Arizona University.

Though open to all male students, the fraternity focuses on supporting the gay, bisexual and transgender community.

“We feel that what we created on campus was so powerful and creating change and impacting the lives of gay students, that we want to create that same environment at other campuses,” said Sam Holdren, president of Sigma Phi Beta’s national office.

The group became an official ASU fraternity in 2003 and is a member of the Interfraternity Council. Last semester, a Sigma Phi Beta official even served as a vice president of the council.

It participates in the same “rush,” a recruitment period at the beginning of each school year, as all other fraternities.

“With each rush that we do, we get more people interested in us because they’re looking for that safe space to be themselves,” said Steven Tran, president of the fraternity’s ASU chapter.

Sigma Phi Beta has about 25 members and looks to double its numbers this school year.

The fraternity is one of a growing number of gay organizations testing the stereotype of the straight college student who joins Greek life.

Since 1986, Delta Lamda Phi has established chapters on 21 college campuses, including the University of Arizona. However, the fraternity does not focus exclusively on students and has five chapters that are not affiliated with higher education.

Arizona State, in particular, has become a major force behind the gay movement within Greek life.

Gamma Rho Lamda is a sorority for ASU’s lesbian community. The sorority formed in 2003 when a female attempted to join Sigma Phi Beta, but was rejected because of her gender, according to Gamma Rho Lamda’s Web site.

“Even though Arizona’s considered a ‘red’ state and whatnot, I haven’t personally felt any harm from ASU,” said Liana Alexander, president of the sorority’s ASU chapter.

Shortly after it started, Gamma Rho Lamda – typically shortened to “GRL” – set up chapters at Georgia Southern University and San Diego State University. It also recently set up a “colony,” a fledgling chapter, at the University of Missouri.

Many traditional fraternities and sororities have long admitted gay students. However, gay and lesbian members were still minorities within the larger membership of those groups.

“At Sigma Phi Beta, you are who you are,” Tran said. “That’s it. You don’t have to be understood; you don’t have to be accepted.”

Holdren said the fraternity’s officers have been using social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace to organize such an environment at NAU. Sigma Phi Beta has received significant support from ASU’s administration for all of its growth, he said.

“That’s change right there, the fact that you have gay people integrated into traditionally a very conservative system,” Holdren said.

Arizona State works to help all student organizations flourish, no matter what their focus is, said Jennifer Stults, assistant director of fraternity and sorority life.

“Universities tend to be inclusive environments so, quite honestly, I wouldn’t have expected much different in terms of the inclusiveness,” Stults said. “This is just normal and natural. We hope to see these organizations grow and expand to other campuses.”