Illinois State University Athletics will host its first Pride Night to support students who identify within the LGBTQ+ community.
Pride Night will be at 7 p.m. Friday during the women’s basketball game at Redbird Arena.
Director of Marketing and Fan Experience at ISU Athletics Jordan Ashley said Pride Night will highlight ISU’s diversity and inclusion values.
“The LGBTQ+ community is just one dimension of diversity, but we know that historically people that are in the LGBTQ+ community feel like outsiders, they feel invisible, they feel like they don’t matter,” Ashley said. “This is our way of letting them know we see you, we hear you and you do matter to this athletics department.”
Pride Night will give guests the opportunity to learn more about organizations on campus that help students in the LGBTQ+ community.
“Another reason we wanted to do this was to educate the community and our fanbase about events and resources that are already on campus for the LGBTQ+ community,” said Ashley.
Fans who attend the event will receive an ISU Redbird rainbow koozie.
Alamo II will also be at the game selling a variety of Illinois State Pride items. With every item sold, they will donate $2 to theLGBTQ+ Student Support Fund, an organization that provides emergency financial assistance for students who lose the financial support of their families due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
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