WASHINGTON — Today, Chad Griffin, President of the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) issued the following statement in response to the announcement that the NCAA will not host any future events — from Final Four championships to education conferences — in cities without LGBT inclusive non-discrimination laws.
"The NCAA has sent a very clear message that unfair and unjust discrimination against LGBT people will not be tolerated by the association, and we hope lawmakers are listening," said HRC President Chad Griffin. "In order for cities to even qualify to host these major sporting events, they must now have commonsense, LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination protections. We commend the NCAA Board of Governors for taking this critically important stand in favor of fairness and equality."
"The higher education community is a diverse mix of people from different racial, ethnic, religious and sexual orientation backgrounds," said Kirk Schulz, president of Kansas State University and chair of the Board of Governors. "So it is important that we assure that community — including our student-athletes and fans — will always enjoy the experience of competing and watching at NCAA championships without concerns of discrimination."
In the announcement, the NCAA made clear that, "The Association considers the promotion of inclusiveness in race, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity as a vital element to protecting the well-being of student-athletes, promoting diversity in hiring practices and creating a culture of fairness."
This announcement could have major implications for the state of North Carolina, which according to the News & Observer has hosted NCAA events 17 times in the past two decades. North Carolina Gov. McCrory and state lawmakers have been coming under increasingly intense pressure to repeal a radical and discriminatory law — HB 2 — passed in a hurried, single-day session. HB 2 eliminated existing municipal non-discrimination protections for LGBT people and prevents such protections from being passed by North Carolina cities in the future. The legislation also forces transgender students in public schools to use restrooms and other facilities inconsistent with their gender identity and also compels the same type of discrimination against transgender people to take place in publicly-owned buildings.
Statement here: www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/board-governors-approves-anti-discrimination-process-championships-bids .
From the NCAA website:
Board of Governors approves anti-discrimination process for championships bids
Hosts must demonstrate environment will safeguard dignity of participants, spectators
The NCAA Board of Governors on Wednesday took steps to protect participants and spectators from discrimination at NCAA events.
At its quarterly meeting in Indianapolis, the board adopted a new requirement for sites hosting or bidding on NCAA events in all divisions — from the Men's and Women's Final Fours to educational events such as leadership development conferences — to demonstrate how they will provide an environment that is safe, healthy, and free of discrimination, plus safeguards the dignity of everyone involved in the event.
The board's decision integrates the new requirement into the bidding process for championships, adding it to information already required that outlines available access for people with disabilities and details on playing and practice facilities.
"The higher education community is a diverse mix of people from different racial, ethnic, religious and sexual orientation backgrounds," said Kirk Schulz, president of Kansas State University and chair of the Board of Governors. "So it is important that we assure that community — including our student-athletes and fans — will always enjoy the experience of competing and watching at NCAA championships without concerns of discrimination."
The board's decision follows the recent actions of legislatures in several states, which have passed laws allowing residents to refuse to provide services to some people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. While proponents of the laws focus on how they protect religious beliefs, critics have voiced concerns that they create an environment of sanctioned discrimination.
The board's decision reaffirms the NCAA commitment to operate championships and events that promote an inclusive atmosphere in which student-athletes participate, coaches and administrators lead and fans engage.
The Association considers the promotion of inclusiveness in race, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity as a vital element to protecting the well-being of student-athletes, promoting diversity in hiring practices and creating a culture of fairness.
Historically, the Association has used the opportunity to host its events as a means to make clear its values. The Association now prohibits championships events with predetermined sites in states where governments display the Confederate battle flag, and prohibits NCAA members from hosting championships events if their school nicknames use Native American imagery that is considered abusive and offensive.
The new requirement integrates appropriate protections against discrimination into the championships bidding process. Board members feel the measure will provide assurance that anyone associated with an NCAA championship event — whether they are working, playing or cheering — will be treated with fairness and respect.
The new selection criteria, procedures and the status of currently awarded sites will be reported to the Board of Governors Ad Hoc Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity and full implementation is expected during the current bidding process.
