Sports Backlash Hits Indiana in Wake of Anti-Gay Law

I pity Indiana Governor Mike "No Clue" Pence, who has said he is bewildered by the public backlash against the state's recently passed (and ironically named) Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Nowhere has that adverse reaction been more mobilized than in the national sports industry, where calls are spreading for major amateur championships to be pulled, and professional athletes and coaches are condemning the law.

Pence says he just doesn't understand it. Then again, he couldn't or wouldn't answer a direct question on national television about whether the law now allows discrimination against minorities.

I can't help Pence understand the broader social issues that now confront him and his political colleagues, but I can help him understand the response of the sports world.

Mike, you have fumbled the ball. You are now facing a full court press. You are face down in the mud in the bottom of a scrum, and the cleats are a-coming. The clock is winding down and you can't call a timeout. My suggestion? Punt.

OK - that's it for the sports cliches. Now for the details.

The day Pence signed the legislation, known as Senate Bill 101, the LGBT Sports Coalition issued a demand that future major sporting events be pulled from the state so that attendees would not be subject to possible discrimination. The law does not take effect until July 1 and the coalition stopped short of asking that this weekend's NCAA men's basketball Final Four be moved out of Indianapolis. But immediately a flurry of phone calls and emails began to push for the removal of USA Gymnastics' 2015 P&G Championship, the Big Ten's 2015 football conference championship game, the NCAA's 2016 women's basketball Final Four and all other NCAA-organized events, the NFL's annual scouting combine, and the USA Diving Olympic team trials in 2016.

"The sports world must now stand united against such blatant discrimination," the coalition's statement said. "While we recognize the impossibility of Indiana-based schools and professional sports teams forgoing home games, we believe any sporting events that can be moved outside the state should be moved. To host a major sporting event in the state, with legitimate venues available elsewhere, would put LGBT athletes, coaches, and fans in harm's way and lend support to the discrimination of LGBT people."

Gymnastics conference officials were also critical.

"USA Gymnastics provides the opportunity to participate in gymnastics to all athletes, regardless of an individual's religious, ethnic or cultural background, or sexual orientation," Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics, said. "One of USA Gymnastics' hallmarks is its inclusion and diversity. We do not accept any form of discrimination toward our community or attendees at our events, and we are concerned about the possible impact of this law. We will work closely with the Indiana Sports Corp. and the mayor to better understand how this development might be contrary to hosting successful events that are open and welcoming to everyone."

The NCAA, as well as many other amateur sports organizations, is headquartered in Indianapolis. Its president, Mark Emmert, issued a statement, "The NCAA national office and our members are deeply committed to providing an inclusive environment for all our events. We are especially concerned about how this legislation could affect our student-athletes and employees. We will work diligently to assure student-athletes competing in, and visitors attending, next week's men's Final Four in Indianapolis are not impacted negatively by this bill. Moving forward, we intend to closely examine the implications of this bill and how it might affect future events as well as our workforce."

University of Southern California Athletic Director Pat Haden tweeted Tuesday that he would not go to the College Football Playoff committee meeting in Indianapolis this weekend in protest of the Indiana law.

"I am the proud father of a gay son. In his honor, I will not be attending the CFP committee meeting in Indy this week. #EmbraceDiversity," he wrote.

LGBT Sports Coalition members You Can Play and Anthony Nicodemo, a gay high school basketball coach, have helped organize a panel discussion on LGBT issues for coaches at this weekend's Final Four.

"Any time I can preach inclusion in basketball it makes me feel really good," Nicodemo said. "I love the sport and it's my passion."

Former Indianapolis Pacers star Reggie Miller wrote on his Instagram account, "I've never been big into politics but I'm very disappointed in my adopted home state of Indiana and the passing of Senate Bill 101. I've always been about inclusion for all, no matter your skin color, gender or sexual preference. We are all the same people, beautiful creatures."

And television basketball analyst Charles Barkley said, "Discrimination in any form is unacceptable to me. As long as anti-gay legislation exists in any state, I strongly believe big events such as the Final Four and Super Bowl should not be held in those states' cities."

Sports agent Arn Tellem, whose lengthy client list includes gay basketball player Jason Collins, told the New York Times, "I urge the Indiana Pacers, the NCAA, and the professional sports leagues to not only condemn this blatantly unconstitutional legislation, but to take forceful action against it by re-evaluating their short- and long-term plans in the state."

Why such a vitriolic and unified industry-wide stand against the Indiana law? Perhaps because it goes against the wave of progress that has spread through sports the past few years to become more accepting, inclusive, and supportive and rid itself of the shackles of racism, homophobia, transphobia, and sexism.

"I think it's really sad that this type of legislation could even be pushed," former Stanford gymnast Josh Dixon told Outsports.com. "With the positively changing landscape of LGBT inclusion in sports, one would think that such a sports-driven city as Indianapolis, with its affiliated professional teams, national governing bodies, and national training centers, would take a solid stance against allowing this type of outright discrimination. Let's get real. This is along the lines of having legislation that refuses certain rights based on the color of one's skin. I thought those days were over. I guess it's different in Indiana."

The Indiana law, Tellem said, "codifies hatred under the smoke screen of freedom and jeopardizes all that has been recently accomplished. Sports embodies the principles of equality, dignity and mutual respect."

In summary, Governor Pence, the sports world is saying if your legislators don't want to ensure a safe, inclusive and welcoming experience for visitors, we won't visit. Of course, that's not discrimination - it just means we got your message loud and clear.

The ball, as we say in tennis, is now in your court.