| Dear 5849376, The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the non-profit organization responsible for organizing and regulating America's college athletic programs. It's responsible for the welfare of nearly half a million student-athletes across the country. But the NCAA is headquartered in Indiana, a state that has just officially sanctioned discrimination against gay men and women. That's unacceptable for an organization like the NCAA, and during the Final Four it's in a unique position to take a strong stand on behalf of all Americans against this hateful, discriminatory new law. Tell the NCAA: Leave Indiana if it does not effectively repeal its discriminatory anti-gay law. Click here to sign the petition. Americans were shocked last week when Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed into law a bill that allows businesses within the state to discriminate against customers based on their sexual orientation. Thankfully, national business leaders and corporations have come out strongly against the law, including Apple and Yelp. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff strongly condemned the law and announced that his company would be scaling back investments there. Major corporations headquartered in Indiana also came out against the law, including pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and online recommendation service Angie's List, which has cancelled a $40 million jobs expansion in the state due to the new law.1 But as the national organization responsible for the welfare of nearly half a million college student-athletes, the NCAA has an even greater responsibility to reject this new law. It cannot continue to invest in a state that officially sanctions discrimination against American citizens. NCAA President Mark Emmert has stated that the new law poses a threat to the NCAA's culture of inclusiveness and diversity, and that unless the law were changed or repealed, the future of NCAA's relationship with Indiana would be in question.2 But we need to push the NCAA to take a real stand. With the nation's eyes on the college basketball Final Four, the NCAA is in a unique place to make a powerful statement on behalf of the students and athletes it is responsible for, as well as all Americans who believe our country has no place for hateful, discriminatory laws. Tell the NCAA: Leave Indiana if it does not effectively repeal its discriminatory anti-gay law. Click here to sign the petition. Thank you for your activism. Becky Bond, Political Director
CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: - "The Backlash Against Indiana's New LGBT Discrimination Law," ThinkProgress, March 27, 2015.
- "NCAA's Mark Emmert on Indiana anti-gay law and Final Four: 'This is a very big deal'," Washington Post, March 30, 2015.
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