The Gay Alliance was organized in 1976 and was open to faculty and staff, not just students.The ODU Gay and Lesbian Student Union (GLSU) was founded in 1988 and held its first meeting in January 1989. Before that time, in the mid and late 1980s, gay and lesbian students met at a weekly support group held at the University’s Campus Catholic Ministry. In 1993, the Gay and Lesbian Student Union changed its name to Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Students and Allies in order to be more inclusive. The group changed its name in 2002 to become Old Dominion University Out (ODU Out) and again in 2018 to Old Dominion University Sexuality and Gender Alliance (ODUSAGA).

In the early days the organization was met with some degree of intolerance, if not outright hostility. Flyers and posters were torn down or defaced with anti-gay slurs.  The group sought to change stereotypes and misconceptions through a “Shattering the Myths” poster and flyer campaign. They held an annual National Coming Out Day Social, every October 11, and a Lesbigay Awareness Week every spring. Lesbigay Awareness week was usually held in conjunction with the Annual Breaking the Ice Winter Gay Pride Festival in Webb Center co-hosted by the GLSU and the Hampton Roads Gay and Lesbian Pride Coalition. The GLSU also co-hosted the Sexual Orientation Support committee. This group was made up largely of straight, female staff members who had previously worked on the campus AIDS committee. Staff from the Student Health Center, Counseling Services, the Women’s Center, Student Activities, and other departments were represented. The GLSU also went to gay and lesbian conferences hosted by other Virginia colleges, and  networked with other Virginia colleges through two grassroots organizations known as the Triangle Network and the Virginia Area Rainbow Student Alliance (VARSA).  Many GLSU members were also a part of a Hampton Roads gay and lesbian youth groups known as Youth Out United (Y.O.U.). In fact, both groups shared common founders. After a series to anti-gay propgranda and vandalisim in 1991,the GLSU has concerns. In January of 1992, the GLSU met with President Koch and other University officials to discuss their concerns about the safety and security of LGBTQ+ students.They called for the abolishment of other inequities on campus toward gay and lesbian students, faculty, and staff, as well as advancements that would help make the campus more equal for gays and lesbians. Other wish list items included an office for Gay and Lesbian concerns, partner benefits for faculty/staff, expanding ODU curricula to include Gay and Lesbian Studies courses, and removing ROTC from campus until it complies with ODU’s non-discrimination policy. Many of these things did not come to pass, but a insturctor was brought on campus in 1992 to train staff on LGBTQ+ student issues.