LEWISTON, Maine - Some colleges have boycotted athletic events in North Carolina because of its new law that limits protections for LGBT people. The University of Maine Black Bears will take a different approach.
Vice President of Student Affairs Robert Dana says it was a complicated decision to allow the men's basketball team to play the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils tomorrow evening in North Carolina.
But Dana says the team will go to show solidarity with the LGBT community. They'll meet with LGBT student groups in North Carolina and Maine before and after the match.
And, says Dana, they'll wear special rainbow-emblazoned tee shirts to symbolize inclusion. "Yes, you can turn your back on a state or a situation or a problem. That's one way of protesting. Another way is to put your shoulders together with people who are also up on a high hill and Duke's on a high hill. They find the HB2 law repressive and repugnant and that would be the position of the University of Maine, too."
Maine will receive $85,000 dollars for playing against Duke. Dana says the money will be used to support the UMaine basketball program, but may also be used to highlight the Athletic Department's commitment to LGBT issues. The game begins at 5:30 on ESPN 2.
