A number of lesbian, gay, and transgender groups have sent a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), urging the Association to disassociate with all colleges that have gotten, or are in the process of getting, exceptions to Title IX.
InsideHigherEd.com reports that the letter was sent by more than 80 LGBT organizations, and urged the NCAA to “divest from all religious based instititions” that specifically discriminate against transgender students.
Title IX, as put into effect in 1972, prohibits gender discrimination on college campuses. In 2014, the U.S. Department of Education extended Title IX to also include transgender students.
Some religious colleges have requested and received exceptions to Title IX, however.
According to the group Campus Pride, more than 50 religious colleges have requested or received exceptions, allowing them to expel or refuse to admit transgender students.
LGBT activists are fighting against these exceptions.
"As people of faith or spirit we call upon the NCAA to act on its stated values as an LGBTQ-inclusive organization and divest from these schools who are willfully and intentionally creating unsafe environments for LGBTQ students," stated Jordyn Sun, national campus organizer for Soulforce, a gay rights group focused on religious colleges.
Publication date: March 15, 2016
