Campus Pride’s ‘Out to Play Project” in partnership with Compete Magazine presents the top 10 “Best of the Best” athletic programs working to ensure LGBT inclusion on the field

Campus Pride, the nation’s leading educational organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create a safer college environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students, announced today the first resource of its new “Out to Play Project” (www.campuspride.org/outtoplay), which aims to begin the dialogue of LGBT safety and inclusion in college athletics and to provide the necessary research to broaden efforts to combat anti-LGBT conduct, bias and slurs in sports.

In partnership with Compete Magazine, Campus Pride’s “Out to Play List” is a compilation of the 10 “Best of the Best” LGBT-friendly athletics programs at colleges and universities across the country. The list was compiled from nominations received nationwide, with each reviewed for its LGBT-inclusion efforts, practices and policy implementation. The list is published in the magazine’s May 1 print issue and online at www.campuspride.org/outtoplay.

“For far too long, no one has known the score when it comes to LGBT-inclusion and friendliness in collegiate sports programs – that changes today,” said Shane Windmeyer, executive director of Campus Pride. “LGBT students today are more out and vocal than ever before and those who are also athletes deserve to know which schools and which athletics programs will respect them for who they are. All students deserve the assurance of safety and inclusion both in the classroom and on the field.”

The schools included in the Out to Play List include (alphabetically): Bates College, Bowdoin College, Bucknell University, Columbia University, Indiana University, Ithaca College, Kennesaw State University, New York University, Stanford University and Whitman College.

A full breakdown of the schools’ individual programs can be found in the Compete Magazine feature and online at www.campuspride.org/outtoplay.

Eric Carlyle, CEO, Compete Sports Media and Rebound Sports Media, said his company has been proud to partner with the Out to Play List’s release, noting that college sports is an important segment of the larger athletic community.

“With a mission of uniting the gay and straight communities through sports, we know that supporting a positive campus-wide attitude of diversity and inclusion is critical to achieving that mission,” Carlyle said, adding that inclusive collegiate sports programs have a “trickle-down effect” by influencing younger high school athletes, their friends and their families.

The Out to Play Project and its “best of the best” list are also being hailed by nationally-respected figures in the athletic world.

Esera Tuaolo is an openly gay, former NFL football player with the Green Bay Packers (1991–1992), Minnesota Vikings (1992–1996), Jacksonville Jaguars (1997), Atlanta Falcons (1998) and Carolina Panthers (1999). He said his time as a closeted professional athlete negatively affected his performance.

“I am extremely glad to see this effort from Campus Pride to highlight the top 10 athletic LGBT-friendly schools come to life and I strongly support it,” Tuaolo said. “I wish I had played football in an environment that supports gay players like myself, where people can freely be who they are without hiding anything, and teammates respecting that. The sky would have been the limit!”

The top 10 list is the first resource in Campus Pride’s ongoing Out to Play Project. This fall, the organization will release the most comprehensive national collegiate research report sharing the experiences of nearly 500 self-identified LGBT athletes and providing necessary resources for further progress on LGBT issues in college athletics.

More information about the Out to Play List and continuing efforts of the Out to Play Project can be found online at www.campuspride.org/outtoplay. Those interested in supporting the project and these unique national efforts can contribute at www.campuspride.org/donate.asp.