In response to Indiana SB 101: Campus Pride as part of the LGBT Sports Coalition requests all major sporting events be moved from Indiana

Campus Pride through its membership within the LGBT Sports Coalition condemns the action of Gov. Mike Pence and the Indiana State Legislature in passing SB 101, a bill that gives individuals and businesses a license to discriminate against LGBT people under the guise of religious beliefs.The Coalition released the following statement:”We regret that players, coaches and fans planning to attend the Men’s Final Four next week now need to factor potential acts of legal discrimination into their plans of what should be a celebration of college basketball. The sports world must now stand united against such blatant discrimination. While we recognize the impossibility of Indiana-based schools and professional sports teams forgoing home games, we believe any sporting events that can be moved outside the state should be moved. To host a major sporting event in the state, with legitimate venues available elsewhere, would put LGBT athletes, coaches, and fans in harm’s way and lend support to the discrimination of LGBT people.”

To that end the LGBT Sports Coalition calls on:

• USA Gymnastics to move the 2015 P&G Championship;
• The Big Ten to move its 2015 football conference championship game;
• The NCAA to move the 2016 Women’s Final Four and all future NCAA basketball tournament games away and other organized NCAA sporting events from the state of Indiana;
• The NFL to move the Scouting Combine to a city outside of Indiana;
• USA Diving to move its 2016 Olympic team trials;

In addition, the coalition calls for all other national governing bodies to withdraw their special events from the State of Indiana.

Campus Pride is unclear how this will impact its process this July for selection in the annual Campus Pride Top 50 list of LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities located in the State of Indiana. Indiana University located in Bloomington, Indiana is among the LGBTQ-friendly campuses who have been consistently ranked high on the list over the years.

Campus Pride is the leading national educational organization for LGBTQ and ally college students and campus groups building future leaders and safer, more LGBTQ-friendly colleges and universities. The organization provides resources and services to thousands of college students and nearly 1400 campuses annually. Learn more online at CampusPride.org

About the LGBT Sports Coalition
The coalition is an association of organizations and individuals committed to ending anti-LGBT bias in sports by 2016. It was formalized at the LGBT Sports Summit in Portland, Ore., in June 2013. Coalition member organizations include National Soccer Coaches Association of America LGBT Committee, Equality Coaching Alliance, Outsports, You Can Play, GLSEN, StandUp Foundation, GO! Athletes, Women’s Sports Foundation, NIRSA Leaders in Collegiate Recreation, International Gay and Lesbian Football Association, SHAPE America, Federation of Gay Games, Campus Pride, Br{ache The Silence, GLAAD, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and It Gets Better. Individual members include Pat Griffin, Anthony Nicodemo, Jeff Sheng, Kirk Walker, Christina Kahrl, Sue Rankin, Sherri Murrell, Nora Cothren, Diana Cutaia, Chris Mosier, Stephanie Wheeler, Laurie Priest, and Erin Buzuvis. Champion Women supports this statement.