Members of Spectrum, Ball State’s LGBTQ+ support organization, met north of Shafer Tower on University Green Tuesday Feb. 1 to hold a rally from 5-6 p.m. in protest of Indiana House Bill 1041.
The goal of the bill is to prohibit transgender women athletes in Indiana public K-12 schools and some nonpublic schools from participating in school sanctioned sports. The bill also protects schools from being held liable in the event of a complaint, lawsuit, etc.
The rally to protest Bill 1041 was primarily organized by Spectrum member and freshman undergraduate student Cody York, who also acts as the representative for Spectrum in Ball State’s Student Government Association (SGA).
“[Protests] like this shows that the younger queer communities in Indiana, Ball State in particular, are against these bills,” York said. “We want to get our voice out there and make our voice be heard.”
Ultimately, the bill was passed by the House 66-30 and now awaits review by the Senate to determine whether or not it will become part of Indiana State law. Protests are planned in Indianapolis at the Indiana Statehouse later this week prior to the final vote.
“As someone who is in the trans community, I think it’s important to show support,” said protest participant and Ball State student Kay Strong. “If kids want to play sports, they should be able to play sports, and I think it’s important to show that you care and show that trans issues mean something to you, because it really is important.”
Ball State students interested in learning more about Spectrum and what they do to support the LGBTQ+ community in Muncie are welcome to attend one of their meetings. Sessions are held biweekly on Thursdays from 6-7 p.m. via Zoom.
Contact Sarah Olsen with comments at snolsen@bsu.edu.
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