In 1968, students from Cornell University formed the second homophile league in the country after Columbia created theirs in 1967. The Cornell Daily Sun helped facilitate the creation of the Student Homophile League (SHL) on campus, publishing multiple articles about Columbia’s chapter and steps that students could take to create their own at Cornell. Jearld Moldenhaur, a Cornell junior, took the steps to create the SHL, and talked to Stephen Donaldson of Columbia about his methods.

Most of the first members were heterosexual. Though students could join under a pseudonym, provided to Cornell’s organization board, gay students were hesitant to join. The SHL was also mainly white and male, with few women joining. Janis Kelly was one of the few lesbians involved in leading the SHL. Members mostly staffed tables in Willard Straight Hall, answering students’ questions and inviting them to join the group.