The National Collegiate Athletic Association has recognized the Bay State’s own Bridgewater State University’s athletics department as its Division III LGBTQ Athletics Department of the Year.
In their official announcement, the NCAA says:
The award honors an athletics department or conference office that has demonstrated proactive efforts to create and sustain an LGBTQ-inclusive culture.
Bridgewater State Athletics Director Marybeth Lamb said the university has worked closely with the LGBTQ community and the Bridgewater State Pride Center to support the “intersectionality of student-athletes” and is developing a student advisory board for diversity and inclusion. She also said the university’s transgender student-athlete policy was among the first in the region and noted the university’s efforts to provide a safe, inclusive environment. (Watch video of Lamb discussing the award and the university’s efforts.)
Initiated by the Division III LGBTQ Working Group, the award program was unveiled during the LGBTQ and Allies Reception at the 2020 NCAA Convention (recently held in January 2021). For more on the award, click here.
The selection committee reviewed about 40 nominations and conducted two rounds of evaluations to identify a standout nominee in each category.