By: NIRSA President Laurie Braden and NIRSA Executive Director Pam Watts

NIRSA celebrates equity, diversity and inclusiveness. We embrace these pillars of excellence as crucial to healthy people and healthy communities.

Yesterday, Indiana Governor Pense signed legislation (SB101) a bill that affords individuals and businesses greater legal protection to refuse services to members of the LGBT Community on grounds religious freedom. This legislation is contrary to NIRSA’s core values.

The NIRSA Triventure—a co-location of NIRSA’s Facilities Institute, Aquatics Institute, and Fitness Institute—is set to be held in Indianapolis this fall. Our Association is committed to ensuring that all attendees of these three specialty-area institutes experience the welcoming, inclusive, and education-rich environment that they’ve come to expect from NIRSA professional development opportunities.

We applaud Mayor of Indianapolis Greg Ballard, who publicly condemned the bill and reasserted his commitment to keeping Indianapolis a welcoming environment for all who live in and visit his city. While the potential discrimination licensed under Indiana’s SB101 is an obstacle to those who value and aspire to social justice, this is a national issue. A considerable minority of states have also adopted similar legislation.

In the coming weeks, NIRSA will be evaluating a range of options about how the Association might be able to leverage the NIRSA Triventure as an opportunity to share our values.

In our Association’s Statement for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, we affirmed that our values are realized by actively building a community whose members have diverse cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences. We honor freedom of expression, ideals of citizenry, and civility of discourse as fundamental to personal, professional, and organizational growth. Consistent with NIRSA educational mission, we will support the dialogue and education necessary to break down barriers to inclusion.

If you have questions or comments about this issue, please consider posting your thoughts in the NIRSA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Community of Practice discussion group. And if you will be at the 2015 NIRSA Annual Conference & Recreational Sports Exposition be sure to join your colleagues at the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Roundtable discussion, Wednesday, April 1, from 8:00am – 9:00am.