March Madness & LGBT Diversity

As NCAA March Madness begins Campus Pride, Soulforce & a coalition of over 80 lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender, sports, religious & youth advocacy groups have signed a letter calling on NCAA to divest from all religious-based institutions who have made Title IX requests to discriminate against LGBTQ youth. The NCAA has long held as core values a commitment to diversity & inclusion of all people regardless of sexual orientation & gender identity. Shane Windmeyer, Executive Director of Campus Pride stated, “Religion-based bigotry is the basis for the vast majority of prejudice & discrimination LGBTQ people face, especially young people. The NCAA cannot stand for this outright discrimination among its member institutions & we urge them to take action to ensure an inclusive sports culture that is safe & fair for all athletes, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.” Jordyn Sun, National Campus Organizer at Soulforce added, “As people of faith or spirit, we call upon the NCAA to act on its stated values as an LGBTQ inclusive organization & divest from these schools who are willfully & intentionally creating unsafe environments for LGBTQ students. No athlete should play sports under the specter of fear and discrimination. Instead, these schools should simply follow the law.” LGBTQ young people face high rates of harassment & violence, especially transgender youth & LGBTQ youth of color. The Title IX waiver allows campus administrators to deny transgender students admission, usage of public accommodations & protections against anti-LGBTQ actions from students & faculty all based on a student’s gender identity.
For More Info: campuspride.org
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