The University of Maine Black Bears basketball team took a stand ahead of its December 2 game against Duke by protesting North Carolina’s discriminatory HB2 bill. The team, playing in Durham, wore special warm-up shirts that displayed the rainbow LGBTQ flag and told the world exactly why players were wearing them.
The NCAA partners with You Can Play, which works to ensure the safety and inclusion of all in sports including LGBTQ athletes, coaches, and fans.
Maine’s coach Bob Walsh said the team considered pulling out of the game altogether but decided to wear the shirts as a symbol of protest instead. “We agreed that pulling out of a game at Duke when Duke is against the law and [Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski] came out against it, really couldn’t have an impact,” Walsh said. “But what if we used it as a learning experience for our guys? I’m proud of our league and our school for the way we promote inclusion and equality. I never thought this was going to be a national headline, so I’m proud of our guys for understanding a different viewpoint they don’t hear a lot about.”
